Electrochemical Biochip Diagnostic System

A molecular diagnostic system for performing quick tests in routine clinical diagnostics provides information in the form of an electrical signal, making it faster, more robust, and simpler, as well as more cost-effective than current optical methods.

Since the new system is suitable for both DNA as well as proteins, it can be used for a broad spectrum of applications: to detect viruses of infectious diseases, allergies, hereditary diseases, and incompatibilities with respect to medications or transplantations. Currently, tests of this kind are performed in large laboratories with complex analytic systems that are expensive as well as time-consuming, requiring several days to provide results.

The development of Quicklab, the new lab-on-a-chip system, has been transferred to Siemens Medical Solutions (Erlangen, Germany) from Infineon Technologies (Munich, Germany). The transfer involved patents, a high-tech biochip lab, and experts with the know-how of silicon biochip manufacture. The task of Siemens is to bring Quicklab to market maturity. The entire analysis system is integrated on a smart card and provides the basis for comprehensive and cost-effective analysis methods in clinical diagnostics.

In 2004, the joint development of this biochip technology by Siemens, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (Munich, Germany), and Infineon Technologies received the German Future Prize.




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Siemens Medical Solutions