The next generation of single molecule imaging will transform in vitro diagnostics

By the editorial team of LabMedica in Spanish
Updated on 20 June 2023

An innovative multi-omics platform designed for in vitro diagnostics can rapidly detect disease biomarkers, leading to early diagnosis of a wide range of life-threatening diseases.

This advanced platform is based on advanced super-resolution optical technology from SMi Systems (Cambridge, UK) that offers unparalleled spatial (1.6 nanometer) and temporal (0.5 millisecond) resolution. SMi’s high-precision automated optical technology provides the ability to view single molecule interactions in real time. SMi leverages this breakthrough in optical technology to develop diagnostic devices that can identify individual molecules associated with both communicable and non-communicable diseases. When combined with AI, these platforms offer unprecedented quantification of individual disease-related molecules. Additionally, its ability to simultaneously distinguish several diseases from a single sample and process hundreds of samples in a matter of minutes makes it a highly efficient diagnostic tool. SMi has developed a due diligence instrument and has also proven its effectiveness in detecting infectious diseases.

Image: New multi-omics due diligence platform (Photo courtesy of SMi Systems)

Single molecule resolution makes it possible to detect disease much earlier. The level of resolution offered by the SMi technology was unprecedented and adaptable to any molecular target, making it possible to directly visualize and quantify individual particles for the first time. This provides clinicians with irrefutable evidence of the existence of molecules associated with infectious or non-communicable diseases. The fully automated system takes less than one second per sample to provide a diagnosis, marking a significant improvement over the less accurate lateral flow tests and PCR tests which can take minutes or even hours. With the ability to process up to 384 samples in just a few minutes, this technology can be a game changer, especially for large-scale examination of patient samples in healthcare settings.

“We have already demonstrated the success of our new platform in the diagnostics of respiratory disease and cancer biomarkers, but we have only scratched the surface of what is possible using our single molecule imaging technology,” said Dr. Andrew Thompson, chief executive officer (CEO ) at SMi.

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Smi system