ECI Biotech’s ExpressDetect to measure bacterial level in wounds recieves SBIR grant

ExpressDetect, a handheld diagnostic tool to detect the bacterial level in a chronic wounds ECI Biotech, has been awarded $511,472 as phase II grant in US.

The low cost and rapid diagnostics ExpressDetect has been granted the amount from the Small Business Innovation Research Program National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institutes of Health to advance its development of a Diagnostic Tool for the Point-of-Care Detection of Infection in Chronic Wounds.

This latest round of funding will further ECI Biotech’s development of a simple hand held ExpressDetect diagnostic device for the rapid detection of pathogens in chronic wounds, ECI Biotech announced in a press release.

ExpressDetect device will assist clinicians in making a correct point-of-care diagnosis of infection in chronic wounds, which is currently problematic due to a reliance on physical signs and patient symptoms.

Use of ExpressDetect device will involve a gentle swabbing of the wound. The handheld diagnostic tool will then detect the bacterial level in a chronic wound, utilizing a standardized method of assessment depicted by a line gradient.

“This diagnostic will allow earlier detection, more accurate diagnosis, and more appropriate intervention,”stated Dr. Mitchell Sanders, the CEO and Founder of ECI Biotech.

ExpressDetect device will be both cost effective and more convenient for the patient since a rapid diagnosis eliminates the need to have the patient return for subsequent treatment after having a traditional culture or biopsy that can take several days to process.

It’s important to treat the infection early with a topical antibiotic or antimicrobial therapy before the infection reaches the blood stream and becomes much more serious and costly to the healthcare system, she added.

Clinical studies for ECI’s point-of-care rapid diagnostic device involves analysis of samples from patients with chronic wounds obtained from ECI’s collaborator Dr. Tom Serena at the Penn North Centers for Advanced Wound Care.

ECI Biotech’s executive offices and research facilities are located at 85 Prescott Street, in Worcester, Massachusetts.

ECI Biotech technologies relate to the detection of microbial pathogens and stabilizing active proteins to protect against infection.

The company has four areas of core competence: molecular biology, genomics, protein expression, and assay development.

ECI’s target markets for its products include: feminine care, wound care, oral care, and hospital infection control.

ECI Biotech’s product pipeline includes a diagnostic sensor for urinary tract infections, as well as advanced wound care systems that provide early warning of emergent infections and promote healing.