Applications
GeneFluidics' platform has application in clinical diagnostics, animal testing, environmental monitoring, biothreat detection,
blood banking, and other areas. In each of these industries, there is considerable need for faster, easier, and better ways to
measure analytes. We feel that technologies that can turn complex operations into simple ones are winners and as such believe
that our platform will have broad impact.
Human Diagnostics
The $30B human diagnostics industry represents the primary market opportunity for GeneFluidics' platform.
The market is large, the health impact great, and commercialization pathways established.
The human diagnostic market can be segmented into two primary areas, corresponding to the testing location.
The first segment is the hospital laboratory, which tests samples sent by in-hospital physicians. In the hospital,
GeneFluidics' platform could provide faster results for those situations where speed is critical such as the
diagnosis of heart attack or pathogen identification in complicated infections.
The second segment is the independent reference laboratory, which tests samples sent by physician offices.
In this segment, GeneFluidics' platform would enable physician offices to perform tests themselves, generate
faster diagnostic information for better decision making, and simultaneously collect more revenue by avoiding
the reference laboratory "middle man".
Note that new human diagnostic markets may also be created by the platform's field-testing capabilities.
Currently, there are few platforms that can rapidly and accurately detect proteins in the field and none
that can detect nucleic acid sequences (DNA, RNA). A platform that can do so (such as ours) could be used to control
disease outbreaks (SARS, bird flu, etc.) or provide a diagnostic solution for countries without laboratory facilities and trained technicians.
Animal Health
GeneFluidics' platform could provide solutions for the testing of companion animals (cats and dogs) as well
as food animals. The companion animal market segment operates similarly to the human diagnostic physician office
market; by enabling veterinarians to perform complex testing at their own facilities, vets can generate faster
diagnostic information as well as collect higher profits. In the food animal segment, field-testing solutions
are needed for infectious disease control and animal health.
Environmental Monitoring
The environmental monitoring industry tests air, water, and soil for the presence of hazardous chemicals,
particulates, and biologics. Of these segments, water testing is likely the first environmental testing segment
for GeneFluidics' platform. New programs are aggressively developing systems to measure contaminants in drinking
water sources. GeneFluidics' platform could be easily adopted for episodic sampling and with modification, could
also be adopted for repeated monitoring at single sites.
Blood Banking
In current practice, blood stored for future transfusion is batch-tested for viral contamination (HIV and hepatitis).
Due to recent success in the control of these pathogens through exhaustive testing, the greatest transfusion risk
is now from bacterial contamination. Importantly, given the possibility of not finding bacteria during centralized
batch testing due to bacterial growth cycles, the best timeframe for bacteria-in-blood screening is immediately
before transfusion. Our platform's ease of use, speed, and sensitivity could provide the solution.
