PositiveID Corporation today announced it has achieved a final design on the second-phase prototype of Firefly Dx, a real-time, handheld, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) pathogen detection system.
The second-phase prototype will have the capability to test biological samples in less than half the time of the Firefly Dx first-phase prototypes and run data for potential partners and customers, a key element in the development of the final prototype to be used in field testing in late 2015.
PositiveID announced last fall that it had accelerated the Firefly Dx development with the second-phase prototype, and engaged Infinite Vision, a specialized engineering firm with medical device and biotechnology expertise. The company is now assembling the hardware components required to complete the second phase device and build the prototype.
“The market opportunities and critical need for a rapid diagnostic device like Firefly Dx, which can be used in the field without bulky lab equipment, are very significant,” said William J. Caragol, PositiveID’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Whether utilized by the healthcare or defense communities for detecting various strains of influenza, biological weapons of mass destruction, Ebola, or other pathogens, Firefly Dx is designed to be a simple-to-use device that provides lab-quality, real-time PCR results anywhere, anytime, within minutes to save lives.”
Source: PositiveID press release, adapted.
