A Medical Device Daily

Accelr8 Technology (Denver) reported that it received notice of allowance on the first patent related to its BACcel rapid diagnostic platform. The company said the methods enable the BACcel system to quickly identify major multiple drug resistant (MDR) bacteria and their resistance mechanisms.

Familiar examples of MDR bacteria, often called “superbugs” by the press, include MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Acinetobacter, and Pseudomonas.

The BACcel system is designed to rapidly identify bacteria and their major resistance mechanisms, but eliminates the need for cultures. Today’s standard lab methods typically require two to three days to perform tests because they require extensive growth of bacterial cultures. The BACcel can identify and count bacteria within two hours after specimen access, and identify major resistance mechanisms within six hours.

The new patent covers methods used in the BACcel, and also claims alternative methods that a competitor might otherwise use to circumvent the BACcel’s specific design. The system extracts live bacteria directly from a patient specimen and immobilizes them on a surface. This method permits an automated microscope to measure the response of each individual cell during exposure to different test agents, such as identification antibodies or antibiotics. The patent addresses the fundamental set of methods necessary to track individual cells and their responses over time.

According to David Howson, Accelr8’s president: “Allowance of our first broad methods patent confirms protection of our core intellectual property in rapid bacterial diagnostics. The timing could not be better, since we’re accelerating the pace of our research publication. We are now proving that the BACcel system has unique capabilities that have potentially great impact on clinical practice. As a result, we’ve seen corresponding increase in industry interest, helping move us toward our goal of attracting a commercial partner.”

Accelr8 is a developer of materials and instrumentation for advanced applications in medical instrumentation, basic research, drug discovery, and bio-detection.