Highlights

• Saliva is an easily obtainable body fluid to use when searching for disease biomarkers, hormones etc.
• Amylases constitute 60% of saliva fluids and mask the presence of other protein components
• Device removes amylase from oral and other body fluids to increase efficiency of analysis for other proteins . The device also enables if desired to obtain the amylase separately for any desired purpose
• Working prototype completed; characterization of results obtained from device needed

Our Innovation

• Device that removes amylase from saliva and other body fluids, such as sweat, lacrimal, gastro-intestinal, and pancreatic fluids, serum and urine. The device also enables to obtain the amylase separately

Key Features

• Low-cost, durable, easy-to-use device
• Provides higher volume of sample for analysis
• Removes broad spectrum of amylase
• Removes fluid debris, eliminating need for pre-separation treatment of sample

Development Milestones

• Characterization of results obtained from prototype

The Opportunity

• Possible applications in biomarker discovery, clinical trials and molecular diagnostics
• Biomarkers reduce time and cost for Phase I and II clinical trials by replacing clinical endpoints, producing over $200 million in revenue in 2007 and expected to quintuple in the next four years
• Biomarkers promise a smoother integration of diagnostics and therapeutics
• Biomarkers required for personalized medicine

Published