Local Company Shifts to Swabs

Granville Biomedical, a Newfoundland and Labrador health-tech company, has expanded its vision from women’s health to manufacturing a Health Canada certified novel nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 testing.

Regarded for its anatomically accurate and affordable women’s health simulation models, the company initially utilized 3D printing technology to develop nasopharyngeal testing swabs that focus on improving patient comfort and front-line workflows.

With a rounded hollow tip, the single biocompatible medical-grade material is deemed to be as effective as market-leading swabs in laboratory studies according to the National Microbiology Lab and Health Canada.

In the lead-up to receiving its Class I Medical Device approval from Health Canada, Granville Biomedical received a non-repayable $44,625 from the Provincial Government to assist with its research and validation testing. The National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) is also providing Granville Biomedical with advisory services, and research and development funding of up to $186,794 to support this project.