Novel Field-Assisted LOAC System - A new Era in Point-of-Care Diagnostics
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Hai Kang Life Corporation Limited (HKLife) announced its patented field-assisted LOAC (Lab-on-a-Chip) system, the EFADchip technology at the Cambridge Healthtech Institute's 16th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference held in San Francisco through 25-27 February 2009.
This forum has been at the forefront for showcasing the growth, the challenges and the opportunities in molecular medicine, a market poised to revolutionize healthcare as we know it today.
Company Founder, Chairman and CEO, Professor Albert C. H. Yu, is a renowned neuroscientist and bio-entrepreneur. His broad, cross-cultural experience and active involvement in both the academic and business environment led to the strategic vision behind the success of the HKLife team. Meanwhile, COO and General Manager, Dr. Terence L. T. Lau has been instrumental in driving HKLife and its subsidiaries. His cumulative success and achievements in both academia and bio-commercial endeavors continues to bring HKLife's vision of becoming "the world's leading molecular diagnostics company" closer to fruition, the company says.
HKLife has pioneered the development of advanced DNA-based diagnostic technologies. HKLife's business model incorporates the development of its novel EFADchip technology into a fully-functional platform. Thereby, creating the impetus to revolutionize the practice of clinical and point-of-care diagnostics and ultimately establishing HKLife as a prominent player in driving Asia into the globally competitive biotechnology arena.
The EFADchip technology uses electric field-assisted DNA hybridization to accelerate the detection of biological samples on a single chip. The key differentiator of this technology is the use of a dielectric material for both electric field generation and capture probe DNA immobilization, thus avoiding adverse electrochemical effects that can lead to reduced sensitivity and accuracy of detection.
The EFADchip is fabricated using widely available materials and common photolithographic techniques well known in the miniaturized electronics industry, resulting in a structure that is inherently stable under varying ambient conditions.
This platform has the potential to revolutionize clinical diagnostics practices, by providing a cost-effective solution for point-of-care applications and the potential for individualized medicine. HKLife's EFADchip:
• Uses novel technology to accelerate the migration of DNA to the reactive sites within the chip, thereby enabling specific hybridization in minutes without the undesirable impact of electrochemical reactions,
• Employs a signal detection system that does not require fluorescence, having a substantial impact on the present cost parameters where complexity of detection equipment is a deterrent for wide-spread adoption.
• Has the potential to be customized for specific market applications including the full spectrum of molecular diagnostics, drug discovery, bio-security and forensics,
• Is not limited to human application and is suitable for a variety of veterinary, food safety and environmental needs, either in remote areas or the industrial setting, and
• Will provide a portable and low-cost detection solution, enabling throughput screening for simple or multiple dangerous diseases, a precursor to a bio-radar surveillance system.
According to HKLife, Prof Yu's introduction of the EFADchip technology was extremely well received by the molecular medicine industry audience at the Tri-Conference. His presentation gave them food-for-thought and initiated discussions around the concepts of diagnostic tools and bio-radar surveillance.
This is the first in a series of communications that HKLife has planned throughout 2009. They will be announcing further evolutionary steps and sharing more detailed performance-based results from their new technology.
This forum has been at the forefront for showcasing the growth, the challenges and the opportunities in molecular medicine, a market poised to revolutionize healthcare as we know it today.
Company Founder, Chairman and CEO, Professor Albert C. H. Yu, is a renowned neuroscientist and bio-entrepreneur. His broad, cross-cultural experience and active involvement in both the academic and business environment led to the strategic vision behind the success of the HKLife team. Meanwhile, COO and General Manager, Dr. Terence L. T. Lau has been instrumental in driving HKLife and its subsidiaries. His cumulative success and achievements in both academia and bio-commercial endeavors continues to bring HKLife's vision of becoming "the world's leading molecular diagnostics company" closer to fruition, the company says.
HKLife has pioneered the development of advanced DNA-based diagnostic technologies. HKLife's business model incorporates the development of its novel EFADchip technology into a fully-functional platform. Thereby, creating the impetus to revolutionize the practice of clinical and point-of-care diagnostics and ultimately establishing HKLife as a prominent player in driving Asia into the globally competitive biotechnology arena.
The EFADchip technology uses electric field-assisted DNA hybridization to accelerate the detection of biological samples on a single chip. The key differentiator of this technology is the use of a dielectric material for both electric field generation and capture probe DNA immobilization, thus avoiding adverse electrochemical effects that can lead to reduced sensitivity and accuracy of detection.
The EFADchip is fabricated using widely available materials and common photolithographic techniques well known in the miniaturized electronics industry, resulting in a structure that is inherently stable under varying ambient conditions.
This platform has the potential to revolutionize clinical diagnostics practices, by providing a cost-effective solution for point-of-care applications and the potential for individualized medicine. HKLife's EFADchip:
• Uses novel technology to accelerate the migration of DNA to the reactive sites within the chip, thereby enabling specific hybridization in minutes without the undesirable impact of electrochemical reactions,
• Employs a signal detection system that does not require fluorescence, having a substantial impact on the present cost parameters where complexity of detection equipment is a deterrent for wide-spread adoption.
• Has the potential to be customized for specific market applications including the full spectrum of molecular diagnostics, drug discovery, bio-security and forensics,
• Is not limited to human application and is suitable for a variety of veterinary, food safety and environmental needs, either in remote areas or the industrial setting, and
• Will provide a portable and low-cost detection solution, enabling throughput screening for simple or multiple dangerous diseases, a precursor to a bio-radar surveillance system.
According to HKLife, Prof Yu's introduction of the EFADchip technology was extremely well received by the molecular medicine industry audience at the Tri-Conference. His presentation gave them food-for-thought and initiated discussions around the concepts of diagnostic tools and bio-radar surveillance.
This is the first in a series of communications that HKLife has planned throughout 2009. They will be announcing further evolutionary steps and sharing more detailed performance-based results from their new technology.
