A Medical Device Daily

eGenomics (New York) a company that develops genomic and informational systems for infectious disease control, reported that the (USPTO) recently issued U.S. Patent no. 7,449,808, for key elements of its proprietary warning system for hospital infection control. The system "fingerprints" infection-causing bacteria using automated DNA sequencing, stores the resulting DNA sequences in a central database and analyzes the results using proprietary algorithms. The platform allows hospital infection control teams to monitor in "real time" the spread of specific harmful pathogens.

The eGenomics mapping' system differentiates clusters of related strains in order to identify a source or transmission vector. Importantly, the system can identify when strains are not related, effectively telling a hospital when they are and when they are not experiencing internal transmission problems.

The eGenomics system also complements the use of rapid MRSA tests that are being developed by other companies in the industry. "Incorporating the eGenomics system into existing and next generation rapid MRSA tests," adds Kreiswirth, "would provide hospitals with a system that guides containment and eradication efforts from first admission to final release. Such a combined system would add substantial capability to hospital infection control."

The eGenomics platform incorporates an ever growing proprietary library of over 6000 analyzed S. aureus strains, as well as other infectious organisms.

The patent, titled "System and Method for Tracking and Controlling Infections," was written by Barry Kreiswirth and Steven Naidich, both of eGenomics.