The University of Geneva is seeking partners to license this technology in the field of calibration-free reverse iontophoresis for non-invasive clinical chemistry and drug monitoring.
Development Phase : Research
Patent Status : Application
Benefits :
¨ all existing reverse iontophoresis require calibration by blood sampling
¨ our technology describes a procedure that does not require any blood sampling, and therefore is purely non-invasive
¨ non-invasive calibration procedure provides the correction factor for intra and inter-subject variability of the extraction.
¨ completely avoids the need to calibrate the iontophoretic device with a blood sampling
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Contact :
Dr. Alexandra Richardson
tel: +41-22-705-7258
fax: +41-22-329-4290
Unitec
Office of Technology Transfer
University of Geneva
24 rue du General Dufour
Ch-1211 Geneva 4/Switzerland
e-mail: alexandra.richardson@unige.ch
Non-invasive Biosensing of Blood Chemistry
We present a novel technology to perform clinical chemistry noninvasively in vivo, in man. The approach utilizes the technique of iontophoresis, which may be defined as enhanced transport via the skin using the driving force of an applied electric field. While iontophoresis has been used to achieve increased drug delivery across the skin for many years, only recently has it been demonstrated that the symmetry of the procedure also allows samples of circulating, biologically-important ions and molecules to be withdrawn from the subcutaneous space to the skin surface. The level of current necessary to facilitate this enhanced extraction is painless, and completely avoids the need to puncture the skin. This reduces tremendously, therefore, risks to both patient (e.g., from infection) and sampler (e.g., via exposure to pathogen-contaminated blood).
The methodology can be used successfully to withdraw, at significantly elevated levels, both charged and uncharged species from within and beneath the skin. In the long-term, the successful prosecution of this idea for the biosampling and biosensing of analytes will be the springboard for the general application of the approach to diverse aspects of clinical chemistry. Because iontophoresis per se is not selective, discrimination comes at the level of analysis of the extracted sample. Preliminary data have been obtained which show that a multiplicity of species (including glucose, ethanol, various ions, amino acids, lactic acid, ascorbic acid, etc.) can be withdrawn in this fashion and assayed specifically. The opportunity exists, therefore, to develop an extremely broad-based and versatile technology applicable to many diverse and important applications.
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