March 26, 2008 — Following the success of the evaluation trials conducted at the National University Hospital of Singapore, Veredus Laboratories and STMicroelectronics announced the commercial availability of VereFlu, a portable lab-on-chip application for rapid detection of all major influenza types at the point of need.
Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu, according to company claims, is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity, within two hours providing genetic information of the infection that traditionally would take days to weeks to learn. With its high level of automation, users outside the traditional lab environment can easily perform the tests at the point of need.
Combining STMicroelectronics’ In-Check lab-on-chip platform with Veredus’ bio-application capability, VereFlu has integrated two powerful molecular biological applications in a lab-on-chip the size of a fingernail. It can identify and differentiate human strains of Influenza A and B viruses, including the Avian Flu strain H5N1, in a single test.
Associate Professor Raymond Lin, head of microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital in Singapore, says, “The diagnostic reliability of this novel device makes it a powerful weapon against future influenza pandemics.”
A miniature laboratory on a chip, ST’s In-Check platform allows users to accurately and reliably process and analyze minute patient samples—human blood, serum, or respiratory swabs—on a single disposable thumbnail-sized chip. This approach reduces the time and complexity, as well as the risk of cross-contamination inherent in conventional analysis methods.