Now available from Don Whitley Scientific, the Immunosonic is a unique and revolutionary device for detecting meningococcal infection and septicaemia
Requiring only a standard laboratory microscope, the Immunosonic can be used in-house by any clinical microbiology laboratory and is a more cost effective method of screening than using outside providers.
This newly developed technique, which takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, involves subjecting prepared serum to ultrasound and examination by microscope for agglutination, which indicates the presence of meningococci. Extensive trials (see below) have proved that the method is as sensitive as PCR techniques in confirming meningococcal infection.
As results are obtained faster than from existing methods of screening, better management of suspected cases and their contacts during an outbreak of the disease is possible.
The assessment of the intensity of agglutination by serial dilution also provides useful prognostic information.
Patient comfort is improved as the easy-to-use procedure is performed on serum from a blood sample without the need for a lumbar puncture which current tests require.
The trials have been conducted by Cardiff University in conjunction with EMS, the University of Wales College of Medicine, and the PHLS Meningococcal Reference Unit in Manchester.
The Meningitis Research Foundation has supported the initial research on which the technique is based.
