Mobile Platform Offers Patients Ultrafast Genetic Diagnosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 Jan 2024

Image: The Genomtec ID mobile platform for genetic diagnostics (Photo courtesy of Genomtec SA)

Molecular diagnostics traditionally requires knowledge of handling complex equipment and sample preparation. Now, a simple mobile platform for genetic diagnostics that is currently under development can be handled by healthcare professionals without any laboratory training.

Genomtec SA (Wrocław, Poland) is developing its flagship technological solution named Genomtec ID platform which will offer patients ultrafast mobile genetic diagnosis. The Genomtec ID platform is designed to facilitate diagnostic procedures on-site, including locations like public clinics, consulting rooms, hospitals, pharmacies, and emergency wards, eliminating the necessity for complex, time-consuming lab operations. The technology at the heart of Genomtec ID is the patented Streamlined Nucleic Acid Amplification Technology (SNAAT). This innovation ensures precise pathogen identification within 15 minutes, making it a rapid diagnostic solution. The Genomtec ID system combines the LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) method with microfluidics and a contactless photonic heating system. This integration allows for simultaneous isolation, purification, concentration, amplification, and detection of specific DNA or RNA fragments of pathogens, significantly speeding up the process while ensuring accuracy on par with or superior to conventional lab-based PCR methods.

One of the standout features of the SNAAT method is its capability for multiplexing, allowing for the simultaneous detection of multiple diagnostic targets on a microfluidic card. This means a single test can identify up to five pathogens at once. The use of a passive microfluidic card, devoid of embedded electronics or electric parts, for nucleic acid isolation, purification, and concentration, not only enhances the detection threshold for target nucleic acids but also reduces the manufacturing costs of disposable reaction cards. The robust diagnostic parameters offered by SNAAT, including sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability, are largely due to its resistance to common inhibitors found in biological samples like blood or drugs. This resistance makes SNAAT an innovative and reliable technology for point-of-care care testing (POCT), promising a new era of convenient and rapid diagnostics accessible to a broader range of healthcare settings.

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