The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) https://utrf.tennessee.edu has licensed an innovative point-of-care diagnostic device to Vortex BioTech, a Knoxville-based start-up company that focuses on in-vitro diagnostic technologies.
Jayne Wu Associate Professor and Shigetoshi Eda Professor at the University of Tennessee have been collaborating on developing a low-cost diagnostic device that is easy to use, portable, and is able to detect infectious diseases, pathogens and physiological conditions in humans and animals in a matter of minutes.
The device is small about the size of a smartphone and since there are fewer steps involved in preparing samples, there is less risk for error. The device can be used in hospital settings as well as in remote locations where there isn’t easy access to medical facilities. The reusable handheld device will only cost a few hundred dollars and uses a microchip costing only a few dollars per sample
The professors have successfully tested a prototype device to detect bovine tuberculosis and diseases in cattle as well as influenza and TB in humans. The professors believe the device can be adapted to diagnose additional diseases and physiological conditions, including AIDS, cancer, and to determine pregnancy.
Chad Seaver, CEO and Co-Founder of Arkis Biosciences an entrepreneur with 20 years of experience in medical technology and business development helped to bring this device to market along with support by UTRF to kick start Vortex BioTech.
Wu, Eda, and Seaver give credit to UTRF for facilitating the licensing agreement process. UTRF awarded two maturation fund grants to support proof-of-concept experiments for influenza detection, and connected the partners with a patent attorney who helped with their patent applications resulting in the start of Vortex BioTech.
Looking forward, Vortex plans to offer a beta product within the next 18 months. Thereafter, the company anticipates inviting investors to participate in launching the product to scale up and then make the device available worldwide.