Secure diagnosis of infectious diseases within a few hours

Executive Board of Curetis AG: (from left) Andreas Boos (CTO), Oliver Schacht (CEO), Johannes Bacher (COO). (Photo: Curetis AG)

Cross-section of a cartridge (Photo: Curetis AG)

Unyvero System (Photo: Curetis AG)

The Curetis AG from Holzgerlingen near Böblingen develops analysis devices for the detection of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistances. The miniature laboratories deliver DNA analysis results within a few hours. Doctors, who previously had to wait up to four days for a diagnosis, can now begin the appropriate therapy after just a few hours.

In the fight against infectious diseases, it is crucial to detect pathogens and antibiotic resistances as quickly as possible in order to initiate the appropriate therapy in a timely manner. For nearly 100 years, the diagnostic procedure of cultivating bacteria on a nutrient medium to analyze them has changed little. It usually takes several days to get a result – too much time during which patients are at a relatively high risk of being treated incorrectly.

The medical technology company Curetis AG from the BioRegion STERN has developed a practical solution that allows bacteria to be precisely identified within a few hours using DNA analysis without the need for high-tech laboratories. The complex steps from sample preparation to DNA detection do not have to be performed manually in this development but run automatically in a compact analysis device, which is only as large as a laser printer. "The operation of the Unyvero system is so simple that even a exhausted night nurse can operate it at 3 a.m.," explains Johannes Bacher, Chief Operating Officer of Curetis AG.

The analysis device is equipped with disposable cartridges for the detection of various infections. These contain several membranes, each with 49 measurement points for pathogens and antibiotic resistances. The first cartridge for the diagnosis of pneumonia has been on the market since 2012; the development of an implant and tissue infection cartridge is currently in full swing. Additional cartridges for the diagnosis of infectious diseases are expected to follow in the coming years.

The 96 plastic parts used in each cartridge are assembled fully automatically by robots in a cleanroom. "Our production line for the miniature laboratories is an engineering masterpiece," says Johannes Bacher. The mini-laboratory of Curetis AG – whose unique working method is now shown in the film – also demonstrates the success of the Cluster Initiative Engineering – Life Sciences – Automation (ELSA). The fully automated manufacturing process of the diagnostic cartridges combines life sciences with high-tech engineering and enables the production of up to one million cartridges per year.