Microfluidic Systems (MFSI), a privately-held medical device company, has been awarded a series of new patents covering both the components and integrated systems that perform fully automated sample collection through identification of air-borne pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and toxins.
The Patent number 7,705,739 entitled ‘Integrated Airborne Substance Collection and Detection System’ covers a combined instrument in which a detect-to-warn component is integrated with a detect-to-treat system.
MFSI said that the system, which includes a sample collection, biological triggering system, sample processing, amplification, and organism identification, as well as toxin protein detection, provides for both an early warning system with a highly specific confirmatory system. Within the automated integrated system are key components and methodologies that MFSI has also patented.
Reportedly, the another recently issued patent (no. 7,699,915) entitled ‘Liquid Impingement Unit’ optimises the process of injecting an airborne sample into a liquid-based pathogen processing and detection system.
Allen Northrup, founder and CEO, said: “With the additional patents and our on-going program to build and test these automated systems, we are well on the way to implementing a key solution to airborne pathogen monitoring.”