New Diagnostic Device for Tuberculosis

A new device being developed to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) has the potential to positively identify the disease and evaluate drug resistance of TB organisms within 48 hours. Current diagnostic methods of evaluating infection and drug resistance often require three to six weeks, producing increasingly drug-resistant bacteria and reducing the likelihood of a cure.

The device incorporates a virus that emits light in the presence of live Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The light can be detected with a piece of film or a digital camera, providing doctors with a rapid and inexpensive method for identifying TB and determining TB drug susceptibility. The device is being developed by Sequella, Inc. (Rockville, MD, USA). The company has received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) that will aid the development of the device

The concept was originally developed by Dr. William Jacobs at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York, NY, USA), who has licensed the technology to Sequella. "This technology is wonderfully innovative and promising, and we are pleased with the confidence that NIAID has in our ability to commercialize this product,” said Dr. Carol Nacy, CEO of Sequella.




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