Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group, plc, is developing a portable pathogen identification system based on technology called LATE PCR (Linear After The Exponential Polymerase Chain Reaction).
From The Engineer Online:
It is based on a special type of polymerised chain reaction, a process for analysing nucleic acids and DNA. The version Smiths uses amplifies just one side of the DNA double helix, producing a single-strand product. This has significant advantages, principally that it can easily have parallel tests carried out so more characteristics can be examined.
The platform comes in three parts. The main instrument that carries out the analysis sits on a desk. A consumable called a sample preparation unit (SPU) receives any sample type using a universal preparation method. The third component is an assay-specific reagent pack, which contains the various chemicals to detect the specific organism.
‘The user takes an SPU, adds the reagents to turn it into a specific assay, puts the lid down to seal the sample in, then places it on the machine which can read a unique barcode and automatically carry out the analysis,’ said Lewington. The barcode contains all the information about the sample, the method of how to run the test, and the analytical procedure to carry out.
More from The Engineer…
Technology page: LATE-PCR…
Press release: Smiths Detection Develops Diagnostic Platform for Infectious Diseases …
Device info page: Bio-Seeq Clinical Instrument …
LATE PCR project page at Brandeis University…