Small is good in healthcare
Jun 18 2009 By Stewart Watkins, The Journal
ACCORDING to a report by the US Department for Health and Human Sciences, around 350,000 to 600,000 Americans each year suffer from deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and at least 100,000 deaths may be directly or indirectly related to this condition.
DVT has developed a significant profile due to its association with long-haul flying and one that has prompted scientists to investigate ways to detect and combat it.
A team of scientists at the University of Teesside is thinking small when it comes to finding the most cost-effective way to combat DVT.
Professor Zulfiqur Ali, assistant dean in the university’s School of Science and Technology and director of the Technology Futures Institute, is leading the team which is developing a point-of-care device to detect DVT.
They are using polymer substrates to create a low-cost, disposable device that the public can use. The team is exploring hot embossing and injection moulding techniques to make it. This is just one area of microdiagnostics that is getting scientists and entrepreneurs excited.
Prof Ali chaired a debate on the role of microdiagnostics held at the North East Technology Park (NETPark) in Sedgefield exploring the significance of microdiagnostics which has huge implications for global healthcare both from a cost perspective and in providing cutting- edge diagnostics right at the point where they are most needed and where laboratories are unavailable.
One company at the forefront of commercialising microdiagnostic technology is Orla Protein Technologies Ltd. Under the leadership of former NHS biochemist Dr Dale Athey, Orla spun out of Newcastle University in 2002, and uses protein engineering to produce applications including more accurately detecting bacteria, viruses or proteins in blood.
Orla has developed a joint venture with Japanese electronics manufacturer Japan Radio Company, to use Orla’s technology in diagnostic devices which can be used by doctors and paramedics to perform tests on patients without the need for complex equipment.
The commercialisation of microdiagnostics is not a simple process – Dr Athey quoted data from the US indicating that it can take between $50m to $100m to get a diagnostic test to the market.
Microdiagnostics has an exciting role to play in the future but with commercialisation costs still very high, it will be the best business cases that head the field.
Stewart Watkins is managing director of the County Durham Development Company
