Universal Sensors is rising to the challenge of creating a hand-held device – able to detect the presence of C.difficile or MRSA in hospital wards within 5 minutes of swabbing – following the success of its initial project.
The company, which designs and manufactures sensitive, fast and versatile biosensors, has been awarded a Phase2 Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) contract from the UK Department of Health to create a product.
SBRI contracts are designed to address intractable problems in healthcare and other fields. Every year at least 300,000 patients develop a Health Care Acquired Infection (HCAI) and it is estimated that around 1 in 10 patients pick up an infection during their stay in a UK hospital, at an estimated cost to the NHS of £1 billion a year. If pathogens can be detected early they can be contained and eradicated.
Within its Phase1 contract, Universal Sensors demonstrated that its Vantix(TM) biosensor technology could detect as little as one pathogenic cell per square centimetre of surface tested. The company proposed that if this technology was to be made available as a hand-held device it would give immediate confirmation of the presence of a pathogen, preventing potential cross-infection of another patient.
Dr Kevin Auton, Commercial Director of Universal Sensors explained that an extensive consultation process was undertaken in parallel with the scientific development.
"We listened to senior staff from 20 different NHS trusts so that we could fully understand the requirements of the many different healthcare workers that are involved in infection control. At present, environmental tests are sent to a centralised laboratory and the results take several days to come back. The consensus was that if it was possible to perform the tests on the hospital ward this would significantly improve the speed and quality of decision making."
The focus groups revealed that any device has to be easy to use and provide an objective reading. They also indicated that there were at least two different types of users: the Lead Infection Control specialists who see the device as a way of assisting best practise and the cleaning contractors and facilities managers who viewed it as a way of validating their performance. The final design must address the needs of all its users.
Universal Sensors' unique biosensor technology works with existing immuno, enzyme and DNA tests. The company has based its approach on a well-proven technique – enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) – which is a diagnostic tool widely used in medicine.
The advantage of the Vantix biosensors over the traditional approach is that an electrical signal is generated rather than a change in colour. This is easier and quicker to detect and provides a digital reading, which is unambiguous and can be stored along with the sample details. Using Vantix biosensors accelerates tests, makes them more sensitive and reduces operator error. Tests based on the Vantix biosensor platform have been shown to be robust, reproducible and very fast to perform.
This work was commissioned by the Management Board of SBRI. The views expressed in the publication are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily that of the funding partners.
SBRI is a programme that brings innovative solutions to specific public sector needs, by engaging a broad range of companies in competitions for ideas that result in short-term development contracts.
SBRI is a programme for running an open competition for ideas and new technologies.
Universal Sensors Ltd
