Novel microfluidic and bio-imaging technologies solutions for diagnostics areas - Medical / Health Care - Medical Monitoring
Building on our expertise in cell sorting tools incorporating shadow imaging for detection and characterization of cells, we are developing medical diagnostic devices leveraging these technologies, along with microfluidic integrated biosensors, to capture and quantify cells from unprocessed whole blood or other body fluids. This healthcare platform technology addresses significant underserved clinical needs in the home and primary care settings for innovative, inexpensive, accurate and easy-to-use point-of-care diagnostics products.
Overview Applications and Industries Served
This platform will deliver accurate, rapid and inexpensive test results, minimizing unnecessary and costly ER visits and hospitalizations. Specifically, our solutions consist of (i) a disposable single use microfluidic cartridge to capture WBCs and neutrophils and (ii) a portable, easy-to-use lens-free shadow imaging system to rapidly quantify captured cell counts. The easy-to-collect measurements and regular monitoring capabilities will provide much needed, timely treatment of patients before their conditions become acute.
Our lead product focuses on significant underserved medical needs in end-stage renal disease; specifically, addressing critical clinical barriers to more widespread use of peritoneal dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis is a preferred treatment modality that can be performed in the home setting, but is often not utilized due to the risk of peritonitis. By leveraging our technologies, we are delivering an inexpensive, disposable diagnostic that can be used in the home setting by patients to easily capture and analyze neutrophils from their dialysate to detect early indicators of peritoneal infection. Early detection of infections at their onset will enable clinicians to start early treatment, providing significant clinical benefits:
- Detecting infection at the onset and preventing the infection from developing to the chronic phase
- Monitoring and managing peritoneal dialysis therapy more easily within the home care environment
- Minimizing repeat infections, which can lead to peritoneal membrane degradation and forcing patients to switch to the more expensive and less convenient hemodialysis treatment.
Beyond monitoring for peritoneal infection, this proposed platform has broad potential application in monitoring patients receiving chemotherapy and transplants, where the need for a rapid and complete blood count is applicable, as well as detecting catheter infections rapidly in many other clinical procedures.