PositiveID has received US patent no. 8,133,451 for its Dragonfly Rapid MDx cartridge-based diagnostic system.
The Dragonfly system is designed to provide molecular diagnostic results from a sample in less than 30 minutes.
The company said Dragonfly has been proven effective in detecting radiation-induced cell damage within the human body, strains of influenza and pathogens causing diseases including E. coli, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and human papilloma virus (HPV).
PositiveID chairman and CEO William Caragol said with Dragonfly, the company has the ability to revolutionize the way healthcare is administered by enabling diagnosis within minutes at the point of care, and before the patient leaves the physician’s office.
"This allows healthcare professionals to prescribe the appropriate treatments immediately, helping to minimize the overuse of antibiotics, and enables rapid treatment and potential monitoring and quarantine measures for serious outbreaks such as certain forms of influenza," Caragol added.