MFSI awarded series of new patents for identifying air-borne pathogens

Microfluidic Systems (MFSI), a privately-held company, announced today it has been awarded a series of new patents covering both the components and integrated systems that perform fully automated sample collection through identification of air-borne pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Patent number 7,705,739 entitled "Integrated Airborne Substance Collection and Detection System" covers a combined instrument in which a detect-to-warn component is integrated with a detect-to-treat system. The system which includes a sample collection, biological triggering system, sample processing, amplification, and organism identification, as well as toxin protein detection provide for both an early warning system with a highly specific confirmatory system. Within the automated integrated system are key components and methodologies that MFSI has also patented. For example, another recently issued patent (no. 7,699,915) entitled "Liquid Impingement Unit" optimizes the process of injecting an airborne sample into a liquid-based pathogen processing and detection system.

"We are pleased that our patent and intellectual property portfolio continues to grow in area of automated biological agent detection and identification," commented M. Allen Northrup Ph.D., Founder and CEO. "With these additional patents and our on-going program to build and test these automated systems, we are well on the way to implementing a key solution to airborne pathogen monitoring," he added.