diagnostics companies changing face of

Diagnostics Companies - Changing the Face of Medicine

Medical diagnostic innovations are focused on higher sensitivity and

lowering costs of test. Today the diagnostics market is only $30

billion, but it will evolve to be more closely linked with molecular

diagnostics, which in turn will more closely link to drug delivery for

a full gambit of new drug treatment and solutions. This is believed to

be the impetus for both GE and Siemens to recently enter the

diagnostics market. In the meantime, there are some highly innovative

nanotech diagnostics companies developing technologies that are

expected to have an impact on the market in the coming five years.

Nanosphere is developing low cost sensitivity tests for cancer, hoping

to change the time it takes to diagnose re-current cancer from days or

weeks from years. The company is also developing a test for

Alzheimer's that is 1,000 to 10,000 times more sensitive than current

methods. The company's technology is licensed from Chad Mirkin at

Northwestern University.

Nanomix (most people pronounce this company wrong - the correct

pronunciation emphasizes the `o') is trying to change the diagnostics

paradigm from optical detection to electronic detection. The company

has developed point of care or in-home sensors that use networks of

carbon nanotubes for highly sensitive detection.