Breakthrough in High Sensitivity Tuberculosis and Malaria Diagnostics

Breakthrough in High Sensitivity Tuberculosis and Malaria Diagnostics

November 14, 2007

    GOERLITZ, Germany, Nov. 14 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- At
this year's 39th World Forum for Medicine in Dusseldorf
(MEDICA, November 14-17), Partec, a globally leading
developer, manufacturer and provider of dedicated
diagnostic solutions in the response to HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria is presenting a breakthrough
innovation for high sensitivity TB and Malaria diagnostics
in low- and middle-income countries.

    Until today, efforts in the challenge to address the
urgent needs for increasing patient coverage suffered from
the massive bottleneck of missing available diagnostic
tools, which would be feasible for routine use in regions
with low or difficult infrastructure. By combining the
worldwide first battery-operated and mobile fluorescence
microscope "CyScope," developed by Partec, with
dedicated test kits, for the first time diagnostic services
are being offered in high burden countries also to those
patients living far from the few capital and large cities
in remote areas.

    "The prerequisite for any improvement of treatment
programmes in the TB and Malaria field is the availability
of diagnostic solutions adapted to the specific regional
situation and infrastructure, especially in developing
countries. By having successfully introduced an entirely
new class of highly affordable, ultracompact as well as
robust and easy-to-use mobile fluorescence microscopes, it
is now possible to reach the many infected individuals who
previously have stayed almost completely uncovered from any
testing for TB and Malaria," said Roland Gohde, Chief
Executive Officer of Partec Essential Healthcare. "Due
to the development in modern component technology it was
possible to design a unique compact microscope unit based
on an innovative optical system and new ultra-bright
light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offering significant benefits
not only in terms of sensitivity, durability and robustness,
but in addition making available fluorescence microscopy at
instrument cost below EUR 1000." Conventional
fluorescence microscopes usually are in the range of above
EUR 15.000.

    Besides the fluorescence microscopes, also the required
TB and Malaria test kits, approved for in vitro diagnostic
use (IVD), are available from Partec. For the TB reagents,
a cooperation with Merck in Darmstadt, Germany, has been
entered. Merck, producing highly suitable TB staining kits,
is a globally leading pharmaceutical and chemical company
with a tradition of over 300 years.

    The CyScope is already widely in use in Africa, Asia
and Europe and has been clinically validated with very
positive results, both for TB and Malaria, by different
international research groups, e.g. in Ghana, Benin, French
Guyana, Nigeria and by the worldwide renowned and reputable
Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg.
In June 2007, the CyScope was honoured with the IQ
Innovation Award Central Germany.

    Picture is available via EPA (European Pressphoto
Agency) and can be downloaded free of charge at:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/44047/partec_gmbh/ 


    For more information, please contact:

     Partec GmbH
     Mrs. Claudia Khmel
     Tel:      [phone]
     Email:    [e-mail]
     Web Site: http://www.partec.com