| Diagnostics |
Breakthrough in high sensitivity tuberculosis and malaria diagnosis4 December 2007 A new diagnostic system for detecting TB and malaria and suitable for use in developing countries and remote areas has been developed by German company Partec. The breakthrough was presented at the World Forum for Medicine in Dusseldorf in November. The system combines Partec's CyScope, the world's first battery-operated and mobile fluorescence microscope, with dedicated test kits developed by Merck.
The Partec CyScope "The prerequisite for any improvement of treatment programmes in the TB and Malaria field is the availability of diagnostic solutions adapted to the specific regional situation and infrastructure, especially in developing countries. By having successfully introduced an entirely new class of highly affordable, ultracompact as well as robust and easy-to-use mobile fluorescence microscopes, it is now possible to reach the many infected individuals who previously have stayed almost completely uncovered from any testing for TB and Malaria", said Roland Gohde, Chief Executive Officer of Partec Essential Healthcare. "Due to the development in modern component technology it was possible to design a unique compact microscope unit based on an innovative optical system and new ultra-bright light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offering significant benefits not only in terms of sensitivity, durability and robustness, but in addition, making available fluorescence microscopy at instrument cost below €1000." Conventional fluorescence microscopes usually are in the range of above €15,000. The CyScope is already widely in use in Africa, Asia and Europe and has been clinically validated with very positive results, both for TB and Malaria, by different international research groups, eg in Ghana, Benin, French Guyana, Nigeria and by the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg. In June 2007, the CyScope was honoured with the IQ Innovation Award Central Germany. |
