Drug Discovery

Our technology enables new forms of exploratory science that can be used to simplify the process of monitoring changes physiological behaviors in pre-human trials.

Drug discovery is a complex process that spans numerous knowledge domains, is inherently expensive, and time-consuming. Pre-human trials play an important role in identifying physiological changes that occur during the completion of different treatment procedures during drug trials. There is a wide variety of different tests, monitors, and evaluation methods for determining these effects, some more expensive or laboriously intensive than others. One predominant portion of physiological behaviors can be initially identified through changes in respiratory behavior – primarily changes in breathing rate, flow, and volume changes that correlate to changes in vital signs used to track treatment impact.

Through our technology, we aim to track, monitor, and measure physiological states of animals used in the drug-discovery process to closely identify the effects of drug treatments. This is achieved by tracking and measuring the minute breathing signatures of mice and rats through spectral filtered thermal imaging. Our algorithms are combined with the highest thermal sensitivity provided by internally cooled infrared imaging sensors. This allows us to identify and track exhale behaviors, at a level sensitive enough to monitor breathing behaviors of small animals.

The videos shown above demonstrate the respiratory sensing process through thermal imaging that we build upon. The two video sequences illustrate the difference in respiratory behaviors which can be objectively emphasized and extracted through visual analytics. These sequences were collected in coordination with the CU School of Medicine. The passive imaging technology ensures that there is no exposure or risk to the animals due to our technology.