NetworkNewsWire
Editorial Coverage: Diagnostic devices are a crucial part of
the medical technology sector, and many companies are pressing
forward with work in this area. Zenosense, Inc. (OTC: ZENO)
(ZENO
Profile) has just announced breakthrough quantitative
test results for its MIDS Cardiac handheld diagnostic technology,
under development to provide rapid cardiac biomarker tests in
emergency settings. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (NYSE:
TMO) has developed devices to streamline protein
characterization, improve analysis of small molecules, and improve
the speed and confidence of laboratory spectrometry. Merit
Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMSI) has recently
finalized a deal with NinePoint Medical that will increase access
to NinePoint’s groundbreaking platform for the detection of
esophageal cancer. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT)
has undertaken the U.S. launch of an analyzer to help diabetics
diagnose their state of health. And Koninklijke Philips
N.V. (NYSE: PHG) has acquired Remote Diagnostic
Technologies to increase its offering of frontline diagnostic
tools, which include invaluable devices for emergency medicine.
Identifying the Problem
Diagnostic devices may not seem like one of the most glamorous
aspects of medicine, but they are among the most important. They
allow medical professionals to identify the ailments of patients
and provide patients with the right treatment. Without accurate
diagnosis, the whole process falls apart.
This importance has led to the growth of an increasingly buoyant
market in diagnostic devices driven by cutting-edge technological
innovations. From handheld devices that can be used anywhere to
sophisticated, highly complex machines used in hospitals by skilled
operators, diagnostic technologies form a market worth billions of
dollars each year. Few devices or analyzers are perfect, especially
regarding speed and ease of use. New technologies that advance
diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy, reduce costs or make diagnosis
simpler are in great demand. Each step forward brings improvements
in clinical care and a chance for innovative companies to enter the
market by offering advantages over established technologies,
especially at the point of care (POC).
Improving Detection for Better Cardiac Care
Zenosense, Inc.
(OTC:ZENO) recently announced breakthrough
quantitative testing results of its MIDS Cardiac technology
platform.
Developed by the Company’s MIDS Medical Limited joint venture
(MML) based at the prestigious Sci-Tech Daresbury campus in the
United Kingdom, MIDS Cardiac is a handheld POC technology for the
detection of heart attack. It is designed to help medical staff
rapidly diagnose heart attack at an early stage and so to improve
treatment. By the early detection of certain cardiac event
biomarkers, MIDS Cardiac is expected to significantly accelerate
the triage, diagnosis, treatment and disposition of patients
reporting chest pain suspected as symptomatic of a heart
attack.
Heart disease is the leading killer in
the western world. In Europe and the United States alone, 15 to
20 million patients a year visit the emergency departments of
hospitals reporting chest pain that could be a sign of an acute
myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as a heart attack.
Swift diagnosis helps patients who are suffering from a heart
attack as well as those who aren’t. It allows those with heart
problems to receive the treatment they need. It also saves others
from inappropriate and costly interventions. Like any good
diagnostic tool, it can save lives and save money that hospitals
need for other treatments.
MIDS Cardiac is designed to be just such a solution. The
advantage of the MIDS technology lies in its superior detection
technology and applying it to established immunoassay tests, with
the first target being troponin.
MIDS goes beyond the
optical technology used by most immunoassay tests. The
analytical sensitivity gap between central laboratory testing
platforms and existing POC testing devices is significant as this
bulky optical technology has not been successfully miniaturized
into high sensitivity capable, handheld devices. In contrast, the
MIDS technology uses highly sensitive, custom-built “Hall Effect”
magnetic sensors that allow it to detect extremely low levels of
magnetic field disturbance caused by immunoassay beads. As the
recent results indicate, this is expected to deliver Gold Standard,
true high-sensitivity laboratory testing at the POC with results
available in minutes — enabling high-sensitivity laboratory
accuracy in emergency settings for the first time.
Breakthrough Quantitative Results
Early detection of heart attack by measuring very low levels of
troponin released in the early stages of a heart attack is a vital
unmet medical need at the POC. Key to the MIDS proposition is its
highly portable, high-sensitivity ability to detect very low
numbers of the microscopic paramagnetic beads commonly used in
immunoassay tests and bound to these low levels of troponin.
Testing of MIDS has been underway
since last year at MML’s facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury, United
Kingdom. The nano-magnetic detection system and analytical
electronics have been tested to gain a better understanding of how
the system functions and how sensitive it is.
By running tests on different sets of beads, MML developers have
been able to refine the nano-magnetic signal and filter out
electronic noise to increase the sensitivity of the technology.
Further testing has demonstrated the effectiveness of the improving
system. While last year’s tests were successful, the recent
quantitative results are even more impressive:
Using its revised magnetic and electronics technology, MIDS was
able to detect the lowest quantities of beads to date (numbers
confirmed by an independent study conducted by the University of
Liverpool). Around 200,000 beads or less must be detected to
service a high-sensitivity troponin test. MML’s quantitative
testing results demonstrate that the MIDS technology can already
detect as low as 50,000 beads.
The next steps are now to apply this groundbreaking technology
to established assay techniques used in conventional laboratory
analyzers to deliver state-of-the-art laboratory standard,
high-sensitivity cardiac troponin testing at the POC.
Improving Point of Care Devices
The introduction of accurate handheld devices such as MIDS
Cardiac is an important step for the POC market. Many of the most
effective detection systems are too large and unwieldy to be used
at the POC. Meanwhile, the handheld devices available for POC
assessment lack the accuracy and reliability to definitively
exclude the possibility of a cardiac condition. By miniaturizing
laboratory-style and accuracy testing, Zenosense hopes to provide
detection that is rapid, reliable and easily usable on the front
line of medical care.
While this is a mission that will save lives, it is also one
that could potentially bring the company a tidy profit. Medical
sensors have been a top performer within the medical technology
market for the past five years, performing even better than
biotech. The global market for cardiac biomarker diagnostic tests
alone is expected to reach a
value of $7.2 billion this year, with $1.16 billion of that
projected value in POC devices. MIDS therefore has the potential to
tap into a valuable and growing market sector.
As Carlos Gil, CEO of Zenosense, said: “These results should not
be underestimated. I am not aware of any other detection technology
suitable for use at the POC, which comes anywhere close to
achieving these results. . . . I truly believe we have a
blockbuster technology in the making.”
Medical Technology Booms
Demand for ever-improving medical care has fueled the growth of
many companies providing equipment and support for medical
professionals.
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (NYSE: TMO)
provides innovative technologies to support both patient
diagnostics and medical research. The company showed off some
of its latest advances at the 66th Annual American
Society for Mass Spectrometry conference earlier this month. There,
it displayed devices built to streamline protein characterization,
improve analysis of small molecules, and improve the speed and
confidence of spectrometry work in food and environmental
laboratories.
Like Thermo Fisher, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:
MMSI) aims to innovate in medical devices and services. By
focusing on customer needs, the company has created a diverse range
of products that improve patients’ lives around the world. It has
recently entered into a worldwide
distribution agreement and strategic alliance with NinePoint
Medical. This will provide Merit customers with access to
NinePoint’s groundbreaking Optical Coherence Tomography platform,
an invaluable tool in the detection of esophageal cancer. Successes
like this led the company to record revenues
in the first quarter of 2018.
With more than 125 years of experience behind it, Abbott
Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) continues to be an important
player in the medical technology field. The recent U.S. launch of
its Afinion 2 analyzer provides a fast-working multi-assay
platform that gives diabetics information about their state of
health. It can be used in a wide variety of medical settings to
give quick results and so allow patients to be analyzed and to
discuss their results with a professional in a single visit. The
latest generation of the company’s XIENCE heart stent has also
recently been approved for use in the United States, and will
provide better treatment for patients suffering from coronary
artery disease.
Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE: PHG), already a
global leader in health technology, has recently
acquired U.K.-based company Remote Diagnostic Technologies
(RDT). This adds a comprehensive portfolio of emergency care
solutions to Philips’ therapeutic care business, strengthening its
position in the resuscitation and emergency care field and
increasing its ability to drive change and enter new markets. The
company already offers external defibrillators, advanced life
support monitors and data management solutions, helping emergency
teams to diagnose patients and provide them with the best in
emergency care. With the addition of RDT’s range of diagnostic
tools, the company’s position has become even stronger.
Diagnostic devices are a vital part of the medical technology
sector. As they become more portable and more accurate, they help
doctors to save lives and improve patients’ chances of survival,
while simultaneously supporting the growth of influential medical
tech companies.
For more information about Zenosense, please visit Zenosense, Inc.
(OTC: ZENO).
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