Molbio Diagnostics and SigTuple join hands to build next-generation point-of-care diagnostic testing devices
Bengaluru, 13th April 2023: Molbio Diagnostics, developer of the Truenat RT-PCR platform and a leader in the field of portable testing devices, is collaborating with SigTuple, a medtech startup in the field of AI for diagnostics, to build next generation AI enabled portable devices for many routine but critical diagnostic tests. These devices will enable testing to be performed at the point-of-care – a doctor’s chamber, a public health centre, or an emergency room of a hospital – without having to send samples to central laboratories.
?Currently, most diagnostic tests happen in clinical
laboratories. Worldwide, there is a push to decentralize diagnostics, and take
testing closer to the patient. The aim is to reduce turn around time for
testing, reduce errors, and help in early diagnosis and initiation of correct
treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic fueled an explosive growth in the development
of point-
of-care Covid testing devices. However, such
point-of-care testing for other routine diagnostic
tests, is still lagging far behind.
With an aim to bridge this gap, and enable most basic
tests to be performed at near patient
settings, Molbio and SigTuple are joining hands to
collaborate on the development of AI
powered, battery operated, portable devices for many
diagnostic tests in the fields of
Hematology, Biochemistry, Electrochemistry and others.
The testing process will be extremely
simplified, and will not require a trained laboratory
technician to perform the tests. Accurate,
laboratory-quality test results will be available to the patient within a few minutes.
The blood test market worldwide is today around $75-80
billion. With decentralization of basic
testing, this market has the potential to increase by at
least 2X, and the cost to the end patient
to come down by at least half.
Molbio brings in its vast experience in building robust
portable point-of-care testing devices,
large-scale manufacturing and sales and distribution
expertise into the mix. SigTuple pitches in
with its proficiency in artificial intelligence and
microfluidics technologies. This collaboration
builds on the strengths of the two organizations to drive
cutting edge technology which can
make high quality diagnostics accessible to everyone.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mr Sriram Natarajan, CEO, Director and Co-Founder, Molbio Diagnostics, said, “?Molbio started with the vision to democratize access to high quality diagnostics through innovative tools. Truenat, our point of care molecular platform, is already playing this role in the area of infectious diseases. However there is still a gap in other critical areas. We are delighted to join with SigTuple in our Universal Access Mission and accelerate development of next gen devices that will not only fill this gap but also provide instant reports through Artificial Intelligence to enable immediate intervention and create a positive impact on patient and societal well being."
Commenting on the collaboration, Mr. Tathagato Rai Dastidar, Founder & CEO, SigTuple, said, “SigTuple started in 2015 with a singular goal – to make quality healthcare more accessible, more accurate and more affordable, with the help of AI, robotics and microfluidics. While our other products are meant for the clinical laboratories, with this new product, we will be able to push the boundaries of diagnostics much nearer to the end patient. We are truly honoured and excited to partner with Molbio, a proven leader in portable diagnostic devices, in building this product. Together, we will be able to bring this revolutionary technology into the market faster. The partnership is also a strong vote of confidence on the technological prowess of SigTuple.”
About Molbio Diagnostics:
Molbio Diagnostics is India’s first ‘unicorn’ in the medical technology sector that brings to healthcare professionals worldwide the Truelab® Real-Time Quantitative micro PCR system comprising Truenat® technology that makes Real-Time PCR testing possible in all laboratories, in the field and near-patient settings. With a large and growing menu of Truenat® assays for infectious diseases, including TB, COVID-19, HIV, HCV, HBV, HPV, Influenza, etc., this rapid, portable technology enables early and accurate diagnosis and initiation of correct treatment right at the first point of contact. So far, the platform is deployed in over 5,000 testing centres in 40 countries around the world.
Truenat® is infrastructure independent and provides a complete end-to-end solution for disease diagnosis. The intelligent design of the hardware and the room-temperature stable reagent microchip makes the assay robust and affordable. With the proven ability to work even at Primary Health Centers with wireless data transfer capability, this game-changing technology brings a paradigm shift to the global fight to control and manage devastating infectious diseases.
About SigTuple:
SigTuple is revolutionising pathology through robotics
and advanced AI. We make the life of the pathologist easier, and thereby
improve patient outcomes, by automating the inefficient and error-prone manual
microscopic review process in a laboratory. With this collaboration, SigTuple
is also entering into the world of AI and microfluidics-powered point-of-care
testing.