GS Plastic Optics Awarded Contract with LightDeck Diagnostics for Production of 5-Minute, Lab-Quality Test for COVID-19

GS Plastic Optics (GSPO), a Rochester NY based manufacturer of precision polymer optics, has been awarded a contract to produce optical components for a COVID-19 antibody testing platform developed by LightDeck Diagnostics, a Boulder-based diagnostic-testing company. 

LightDeck was recently awarded a $35.1 million contract to increase production capacity for their point-of-care product platform. LightDeck introduced a cutting-edge screening platform that can power SARS-CoV-2 Ultra-Rapid Antigen and COVID-19 Total Antibody Tests, providing results in as little as five minutes. It incorporates a highly-engineered laser waveguide with a consumable cartridge into which a sample is dispensed for testing. The contract was awarded on July 6, through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

GSPO has been chosen as the lead source for the waveguide, which is a key component to their point-of-care platform detecting the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and other indications. The waveguide will be injection molded in the GSPO Rochester, NY facility.  

GSPO reports that $5 million of the contract awarded to LightDeck will be allocated to equipment and facilities expansion at the GSPO Rochester, NY location. An 8,000 sq. ft. expansion of the existing injection molding building will house additional presses, tooling, automation, and ancillary equipment dedicated to the production of the LightDeck waveguide. The funding will allow GSPO to support LightDeck’s increase in production capacity to one million waveguides per month by Fall of 2022. In addition, the project will create as many as fifteen new jobs on the GSPO optics team. 

“Today more than ever, our goal is to support the medical community in their great strides to improve the healthcare for our nation. Particularly during this pandemic, point-of-care testing is at the forefront of our minds, and we are dedicated to supplying precision components that are built to spec,” said the CEO of GSPO, Andy Germanow. “We are proud to be a trusted partner with LightDeck.” 

Nick Traggis, CEO of LightDeck commented, “During the several years we have worked together with GSPO, we have built a trusting, collaborative relationship with their engineering and production teams. Their impeccable attention to detail aligns very well with our own product strategy, and they stand as a powerful domestic partner to support the scale of our testing capabilities.” 

The original contract awarded to LightDeck has been funded through HHS/ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. 

About GS PLASTIC OPTICS 

GS Plastic Optics specializes in the custom manufacture of precision polymer optics for use in consumer, medical, machine vision, and biomedical and analytical instrument marketplaces, as well as military and civilian night-vision and visible-range sighting industries. The company, located in Rochester, NY and founded in 1916, produces injection molded spherical, aspheric, cylinder, and freeform imaging optics and mirrors. In addition, the company has in-house capability to provide custom designed diamond turned and injection molded prototypes, thin film AR and reflective coatings, and integrated optical solutions. GS Plastic Optics is registered with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) as a military product manufacturer. 

About LightDeck Diagnostics 

LightDeck Diagnostics believes in a new approach to healthcare, where quick and accurate diagnostic tests will be run wherever and whenever they are needed, without compromise. The company’s proprietary LightDeck platform combines an advanced laser waveguide with novel materials and patented manufacturing techniques to deliver lab-quality results anywhere, in minutes. LightDeck is introducing a portfolio of in vitro diagnostic panels, the first is an on-the-spot test for COVID-19, followed by highly accurate host-response panels to manage acute infections and sepsis, and next-generation tests for heart attack triage. The LightDeck platform is also marketed successfully in veterinary diagnostics and environmental testing. 

Contact Information

Kathryn Ryan

Account Manager

VSC on behalf of LightDeck

lightdeckdx@vsc.co