DTI Smart project award for university spin-out company to support the development of an innovative cardiac risk test for point-of-care medical diagnostics
Oxford Biosensors has won a prestigious Smart award from the Department of Trade and Industry to support the development of an innovative cardiac risk test for point-of-care medical diagnostics.
The cardiac risk test panel provides a lipid profile which includes total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and tryglycerides.
The company was formed in August 2000 to build upon groundbreaking electrochemical research carried out at Oxford University.
The resulting novel technology has led to the development of a unique test panel incorporating multiple sensors, which enables multiple disease-specific parameters to be measured simultaneously.
Each test panel features micron-sized electrodes specific to each analyte, integrated into a low cost plastic and carbon ink disposable.
These consumables do not require refrigerated storage, unlike traditional reagent-based systems.
Doctors in primary care will be able to use the rapid low cost test to aid the diagnosis of medical conditions, without having to measure each parameter individually.
Only a small drop of blood from a finger prick is required and, with results obtained in less than 30 seconds, waiting times for central laboratory results and repeat patient visits are eliminated.
No training is required to operate the timesaving and easy-to-use device, which offers many benefits to doctors and patients alike. The company is focusing initially on two areas - chest pain for which a proprietary test panel is being developed, and cardiac risk.
Other test panels are in the pipeline to measure additional analytes and disease conditions.
"We are delighted to have received this award which, in practical terms, has enabled Oxford Biosensors to work on the development of our cardiac risk test panel alongside the other test panels.
As a young organisation, the Smart award has been a real help in taking us along the road to commercialisation," commented Neil Butler, managing director of Oxford Biosensors.
