BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 2, 2001 — MicroDiagnosis (MDi) announces that its proprietary real-time Pathogen Detection System, StatDetect, has successfully achieved immediate results in identifying laboratory cultures of Vaccinia virus, a closely related member of the smallpox virus family.
StatDetect is a patented Liquid Crystal based device that can be used for the real-time detection of bacteria and viruses in blood, saliva, and urine. MDi believes that this technology could also be used as part of a comprehensive surveillance system for the monitoring and detection of biowarfare agents in the environment before any traditional laboratory diagnosis or patient symptoms occur.
Detection and identification of pathogenic organisms that are transmitted through air and water cause some of the most debilitating diseases. The MDi technology will permit immediate detection of common contaminants such as E. coli, salmonella and legionella. Sentinel monitoring of the environment using MDi's StatDetect technology will provide immediate recognition of common environmental contaminants.
In a related matter, MDi is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Symms, Retired U.S. Senator from Idaho, to the board of advisors for the company. Symms will provide assistance in the development of the company's strategy to make the pathogen detection technology widely available.
MICRODIAGNOSIS Inc. has been funded and its biotech strategies directed by EH Ventures, a biotechnology development company which also has other biotechnology subsidiaries in a broad range of life sciences.
