The Medical Solutions (Med)
business unit of
Siemens AG and november AG jointly
develop a new biotechnological device for human medical
diagnostics. A corresponding contract was signed. The new
diagnostic system can be described as an automated
miniature laboratory which will enable faster on-site
diagnosis, for example in a doctor's
surgery. The device
replaces manual operations in the laboratory and tests
urine,
saliva and
blood-samples/order_t/'>blood samples on
pathogens such as
hepatitis viruses or
cancer cells.
Based on one of november AG's technologies
("Lab-on-a-Strip"), expensive and technically complex
optical
DNA analysis methods are replaced by cost-efficient
electrochemical detection. The new automatic diagnosis
process uses charge and electrochemical characteristics of
biomolecules, such as DNA. A small portion of blood
suffices to detect pathogens such as hepatitis viruses or
cancer cells within very short time. Product development
will be carried out by
Siemens and november AG on the
basis of this technology. Market introduction of the
technology is planned for the year 2003. Molecular
diagnosis is a fast-growing market: experts expect a rise of
currently approximately 3 billion US dollar to 5.5 billion US
dollar in the year 2005.
The new "miniature lab" allows the integration of all
processing steps in a single device - from preparation of
the patient's sample to the completed analysis. Today,
these steps are executed at large external
laboratories.
Due to the compact design of the device, it can be used
very flexibly within the preferred fields of resident doctors'
surgeries as well as intensive care units, operating and
newborn child units, and emergency rooms.
Siemens Med broadens the spectrum of medical solutions
in the disease-management-chain by a biotechnological
diagnosis technique with the development and
production
of this easy-to-use device and thus supports the
development of new therapies.
To ensure optimum medical care in the field of
diagnostics
by effective and cost-efficient applications, Siemens
Medical Solutions has been increasing investments into
biotechnology, adding to its commitment to medical
information technology. In the beginning of the year 2000,
the company had already announced a financial
participation in the biotech start-up peS
diagnostiksysteme, Leipzig/
Germany. The joint
development thus completes the technological basis of
Siemens AG in the field of Molecular Diagnosis by
appropriating integrated nucleic-acid-diagnostics.