FEATURES & INNOVATIONS
acclaim for its unique and innovative design. Te Asian Innovation Awards are renowned for celebrating technological innovations that break with conventional processes in creative ways, and received more than 250 entries this year from 18 countries and territories in the Asia- Pacific region. Te awards were based on three basic factors: the level of creativity or degree of innovation, quality of execu- tion, and potential impact on quality of life or productivity.
Triumph of collaborative research
“We are delighted to receive the Silver Award for the MicroKit,” says Jackie Y. Ying, IBN’s executive director. “Our device aims to diagnose infectious dis- eases safely and quickly. Such diagnostic kits really help towards curbing the spread of diseases such as H1N1. Tis invention is the result of multidisciplinary research and reflects IBN’s mission to develop innovative biomedical devices that will improve healthcare and benefit society.” Te team that developed the MicroKit
technology comprises IBN specialists in the fields of biomedical, electrical and chemical engineering, as well as col- laborators at the National University of Singapore and the National University Hospital, Singapore. Since its establishment in 2003, IBN’s
focus on innovation has led to the cre- ation of novel designs for micro- and nanotechnology devices,
biomateri-
als and engineering solutions geared towards improving human health and quality of life. “Te MicroKit project is an example of IBN’s strategic approach towards tackling biomedical challenges through interdisciplinary research and collaboration,” says Ying.
All-in-one technology
Te MicroKit is a self-contained diagnos- tic system that simplifies the process of disease diagnosis by integrating the usual steps required for sample preparation, amplification and disease detection in a disposable polymer cartridge. Te novel cartridge design makes use of the latest advances in microfluidics, consisting of a silica membrane, pneumatic and fluidic networks, fluidic meters and surface ten- sion valves. Te polymer cartridges can be easily fabricated by injection molding,
and can therefore be produced at low cost and in large quantities. Te advantages of the portable, all-in-
one device are manifold — the MicroKit can be used outside the laboratory and can quickly identify infected patients at any strategic location where human traffic is concentrated to help contain the spread of infectious diseases. Te importance of monitoring disease at international airports is particularly per- tinent in light of the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks in recent years. Te MicroKit is well suited for enabling health screen- ings at airports, train stations and other border checkpoints. As the MicroKit is preloaded with
reagents and fully automated, it mini- mizes the risk of cross-contamination and human error. Te user-friendly design of the MicroKit enables non-clinical per- sonnel to use the device securely, thereby saving the costs usually associated with conventional laboratory testing proce- dures. Operating the MicroKit simply involves pipetting a patient’s sample into the cartridge, and the system can automatically perform the entire sample preparation and diagnostic analyses. Te MicroKit is capable of performing
DNA/RNA sample preparation, reagent metering and aliquot dispensing, and is designed to conduct molecular diagno- sis using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection. Te reactions all take place within the sealed cartridge, eliminating the risk of accidental virus exposure and hardware contamination. Disease detection using the MicroKit takes less than a couple of hours, whereas conventional laboratory tests can take up to 24 hours to complete and require labor-intensive manual processes. Te portability of the MicroKit also lends itself for use in outpatient clinics and
The portable MicroKit enables disease detection and diagnosis outside the laboratory
other decentralized locations, and reduces the burden on medical professionals in cases where rapid diagnostic tests may be required for large sampling groups.
Future directions
Since its inception in 2007, the MicroKit has undergone several phases of evolu- tion, and is currently being developed to detect a host of other infections and diseases including HIV, dengue fever, respiratory virus
infections, and hand,
foot and mouth disease. Te MicroKit has already been success-
fully employed for seasonal influenza A H1N1 typing and sub-typing of clinical samples, achieving comparable results to those obtained using conventional labo- ratory methods. Te IBN research team envisions that the device could one day be modified to examine complex diseases such as cancer. Te device may also be adapted for use in safety inspections, for example in the food industry. Clinical trials are now underway to test the efficacy of the Mi- croKit technology for bacteria detection, in collaboration with the Singapore Gen- eral Hospital and the National University Hospital, Singapore. Te MicroKit technology
has been
licensed to SG Molecular Diagnostics, a spinoff of Singapore-based Dynamed Biotech Pte Ltd, with the goal of de- veloping a range of diagnostic devices for commercial development. “We
are
The MicroKit integrates sample prepara- tion, amplification and disease detection in a disposable polymer cartridge
currently working on the next phase of development for the MicroKit to facili- tate the detection of up to 25 diseases at the same time,” says Ying.
A*STAR RESEARCH OCTOBER 2011–MARCH 2012 93
© 2011 IBN
© 2011 IBN
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