Innovative diagnostic platform delivers AST results with unprecedented speed
By the LabMedica editorial team in Spanish
Updated on 07 May 2024
An innovative diagnostic platform that delivers antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) results with unprecedented speed may become an important tool for healthcare professionals to monitor bacteremia.
The LifeScale AST system from Affinity Biosensors (Santa Barbara, CA, USA) is a next-generation diagnostic platform that quickly identifies the most effective antibiotics to treat dangerous bloodstream infections. This revolutionary system allows healthcare professionals to make well-informed treatment decisions, improve patient recovery, minimize treatment costs, and promote responsible antibiotic use. The fully automated benchtop system uses unique microfluidic detection to measure the masses of individual microbes with high throughput, facilitating rapid and accurate assessment of phenotypic response to antibiotics. It provides accurate results for carbapenem- and multidrug-resistant organisms in less than five hours, substantially reducing the time needed to select the most appropriate antibiotic therapies for patients.
Image: LifeScale AST automated benchtop system has received US FDA clearance (photo courtesy of Affinity Biosensors)
Designed to fit seamlessly into existing clinical workflows, LifeScale AST features chemical-free sample preparation and processing, high throughput, and cost-effective operations. It also features room temperature consumable storage and compatibility with existing organism identification systems. The system’s easy-to-use touch screen interface automates the workflow, significantly reducing the minimum time required by technicians. Provides minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results as well as interpretive results (SIR) using CLSI or FDA breakpoints. The ability to process multiple samples simultaneously further enhances the system’s utility in a clinical setting. Following the initial launch of the AST panel for gram-negative blood cultures, plans are underway for additional AST testing. The LifeScale AST system has now received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“We are very proud to achieve FDA approval for the LifeScale AST system,” said Dr. Ken Babcock, CEO of Affinity Biosensors. “This revolutionary technology has the potential to transform the way infections associated with sepsis are treated. We are very grateful to our dedicated team and partners who have worked tirelessly to bring LifeScale AST to market. We are especially pleased to see this performance confirmed.” in our collaborations with healthcare institutions across the country.
