Salt Lake City, UT -- In a very demanding physical and political environment, bio-terrorism has pushed the demands for speed and accuracy in presumptive diagnostics to a greater level. Real-time thermocyclers and pathogen-specific reagents have become an essential component of conventional bio-terror defense capabilities. aho Technology Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA has developed a new generation of hand-portable, real-timeentifier called the RAZOR™ instrument to augment and improve upon the current bio-warfare (BW) defense capabilities available to inspectors, customs agents, first responders and war fighters. The lightweight, simple-to-use, battery powered RAZOR can accuratelyentify an array of potential contagions in less than 25 minutes.
The anthrax attacks of October 2001 in the United States highlighted an increased need for rapid diagnostics. The incidents indicated not only the expanded need for faster diagnostics but accelerated the level of acceptance of newer high-speed DNA-based diagnostics like real-time PCR as an effective tool for the presumptive testing for pathogenic agents. The advantages of this technology are high sensitivity, wide detection range, high specificity, and the ability to examine a wide variety of sample types in a short amount of time.
The RAZOR instrument is a hand portable, field-hardened thermocycler with real-time monitoring capabilities. It is powered by a rechargeable battery and is capable of performing PCR-based pathogen detection in less than 25 minutes in extreme conditions.
One advantage that the RAZOR instrument offers is that it requires minimal expertise in set-up and preparation of test samples. The reagents come freeze-dried in plastic PathFinder™ pouches, which provides increased stability. Reagents can be stored at room temperature and are packaged for rugged shipment. Each sample pouch contains a sampling kit that includes all of the necessary items to perform an analysis of potential A bio-threats.
The automatic analysis software is controlled by large push buttons on top of the instrument. Once the prepared pouch is loaded into the instrument, results are obtained in less than 25 minutes. When the run is finished, results are displayed as positives (+) and negatives (-), one symbol for each sample tested.
Moving diagnostics closer to the scene of a potential biologic threat increases response time and lowers the chance of spreading a contamination. Giving those responsible with scene assessment a better tool increases their operational capability and lowers the overall cost of response to such incidents. No longer is laboratory equipment being adapted to the field, but field equipment is being developed using technologies once thought only applicable in the lab setting–state-of-the-art technology is now field applicable. This increases the effectiveness of those first on the scene and of field soldiers in detecting and mitigating the effects of BW agents.
Idaho Technology Inc. 390 Wakara Way Salt Lake City, UT 84108 Phone: (800) 735-6544 Fax: (801) 588-0507 POC: Matt Scullion, Technical Sales Email: matts@idahotech.com Website: www.idahotech.com