A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Seegene (Rockville, Maryland) and Shimadzu (Kyoto, Japan) have reported a strategic partnership to combine Seegene's Seeplex multi-pathogen tests with Shimadzu's MultiNA (1) analytical platform.

Under terms of the deal, Shimadzu and Seegene will collaborate on integrating the Seeplex PCR-based tests with Shimadzu's MultiNA high-speed electrophoresis system to provide a highly sensitive, high-throughput, multi-pathogen detection and analysis solution.

"This strategic agreement reinforces our plan to bring solutions, and not only products, to our customers," said Jong-Yoon Chun, Seegene's CEO and founder. "Shimadzu's MultiNA is outstanding in the market for electrophoresis analysis and a perfect match for the Seeplex family of multi-pathogen tests."

Yoshiyuki Togawa, general manager for Shimadzu, said, "Seegene's novel multi-pathogen detection test working with [our] next-generation electrophoresis systems creates an unparalleled screening platform for laboratories around the world. Seeplex tests running on MultiNA is the fast, accurate and efficient way for laboratories to screen for the most rampant and debilitating pathogens infecting people around worldwide."

Shimadzu''s MultiNA is a microchip electrophoresis system that quickly and easily performs DNA and RNA nucleic acid size confirmation and quantification. The system uses microchip technology to conduct fully automated high-speed electrophoresis separation, and fluorescence detection to perform high-sensitivity analysis.

Seeplex tests are based on a multiplexing PCR technology capable of detecting multiple pathogens in a single tube. The company said those tests deliver maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity and can be applied to a broad range of molecular diagnostics, including human, animal, plant and microorganism.

Currently, Seegene's Seeplex multi-pathogen detection tests offer labs worldwide simple, cost-effective and comprehensive screening for sexually transmitted diseases, respiratory viruses, human papillomaviruses, sepsis and pneumonia.

In other agreements/contracts news:

Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) and Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, California) have entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement for use of Roche's melting curve analysis technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Agilent will obtain from Roche a non-exclusive license to use, develop and sell products based on melting curve analysis.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The melting curve analysis is a technique for analysis of PCR products. After PCR, the resulting PCR product is slowly heated. Each double-stranded DNA has its own specific melting temperature, which is defined as the temperature at which 50% of the DNA becomes single stranded. By measurement of the melting temperature, the DNA can be easily identified.

Roche also reported entering into a partnership that will allow it to market the first line of cardiovascular tests for Response Biomedical's (Vancouver, British Columbia) new point-of-care platform.

The platform, the RAMP 200 (Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform), is based on RAMP technology that already is used in laboratories worldwide for West Nile virus, biodefense tests and the recently FDA-cleared RAMP Flu A/B Test.

Instrumentation Laboratory (IL; Lexington, Massachusetts) reported that supply chain services firm Broadlane (Dallas) has awarded it a five-year contract covering its critical-care products and services. Broadlane counts among its clients more than 915 acute-care hospitals, more than 2,600 sub-acute care facilities, and more than 18,000 physician practices.

The contract covers IL's critical care analyzers, reagents, consumables and service, including what IL calls its flagship products, the new GEM Premier 4000 and the GEM Premier 3000 analyzers for blood gas, electrolyte and metabolite testing, new GEMweb Plus information management system for the GEM analyzers, GEM PCL Plus, a portable coagulation analyzer and GEM OPL, a portable CO-Oximeter.

"Broadlane's selection of our critical-care product line is a testament to the flexibility offered by the GEM Premier 4000 analyzer," said Brian Durkin, director of sales and national accounts at IL. "This instrument is far more than a blood gas analyzer, and we look forward to adding an even broader spectrum of testing to the GEM Premier 4000 in the future."

IL says the GEM Premier 4000 features integrated CO-Oximetry that quickly provides lab-quality results throughout the hospital. Self-contained cartridges incorporate all components for patient testing and are maintenance-free. Onboard Intelligent Quality Management (iQM) automates quality control and continuously detects, corrects and documents to assure quality results and compliance, 24/7, regardless of operator or testing location.

IL says that iQM, coupled with its cartridge-based technology, allows the GEM Premier analyzers to be used throughout the hospital, at the point of care and in the lab.

IL manufactures in vitro diagnostic instruments, related reagents and controls for use primarily in hospitals and independent clinical laboratories.

Health Discovery (Savannah, Georgia), a developer of support vector machine (SVM)-based molecular diagnostics, and DCL Medical Laboratories (Indianapolis) reported an agreement for the development and commercialization of SVM-based computer assisted diagnostic tests for the detection of ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancers.

The new tests will be performed on digital images to assist in providing more accurate diagnoses on biopsy and surgical specimens.

HDC will own the developed intellectual property, and DCL will have a sole use license relating to applications and new mathematical tools developed during the course of this Agreement. The companies will share future service revenues contemplated under the agreement.

The companies said the SVM-based diagnostic imaging systems are expected to improve the sensitivity of detection for endometrial and cervical cancers and significantly improve the specificity of ovarian cancer diagnosis. In addition, images and interpretative data from the new SVM-based systems will be designed for use in web based applications, thus allowing remote review, second opinions and collaborative pathologist interpretation.

HDC says its SVM and FGM pattern recognition tools have application potential in other markets such as oil exploration, financial markets, Internet search and spam, homeland security, and other areas where analysis of large volumes of complex data is required.

DCL is a regional reference laboratory offering services that include specialty testing capabilities in molecular diagnostics.

Palomar Medical Technologies (Burlington, Massachusetts) reported a new agreement with Astron Clinica (Cambridge, UK) to distribute aesthetic imaging products in the U.S. and Canada.

Palomar will have exclusive rights to sell Beau Visage, a skin imaging and consultation system. Palomar's customers can use Beau Visage during initial client meetings to visualize and measure blood, pigment, and wrinkles before recommending cosmetic treatments using Palomar's StarLux Laser and Pulsed Light System.

Palomar also will sell Astron Clinica's Physiometrics photographic imaging system which captures a library of images of the body. This new technology will allow for visual documentation of the benefits that will be seen using the recently introduced Palomar Aspire SlimLipo laser-assisted lipolysis system.

DiaLog (Wilmington, North Carolina), a wholly owned subsidiary of Inclinix, signed a joint agreement with DeliverMed Holdings, an Illinois-based diabetes specialty home delivery pharmacy. DiaLog's featured product, the DiaLog System, promotes compliance and adherence to blood glucose testing to help diabetic patients and their physicians better manage their disease.

DeliverMed complements the DiaLog System as a major delivery supplier of prescription medications and glucose testing supplies across the U.S.

American Imaging Management (AIM; Chicago), an operating subsidiary of WellPoint, said that it has reached an agreement to provide diagnostic imaging management services for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Montpelier).

"AIM appreciates the opportunity to work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont," said Brandon Cady, president of AIM. "We recognize the ... role that BCBSVT has within the Vermont healthcare community and look forward to working with BCBSVT to provide a high level of service and clinical expertise to that community."

AIM provides solutions for managing advanced imaging services.