AcouSome Exosome Diagnostics
- ninagottstein
- May 14, 2024
- 2 min read
Integrated polymer chip for acoustic separation of Extracellular Vesicles
Setting the Scene
In a landscape buzzing with dynamic research and innovation, there's an unsung hero that could dramatically change the face of diagnostics and medical research: exosomes. These nanoscale vesicles are showing immense potential in an array of diagnostic applications across infectious diseases, cardiology, cancer, and more. However, a bottleneck hinders this rising star; isolating these microscopic workhorses from blood samples is labour-intensive and anything but straightforward. Cue AcouSome, an initiative by AcouSort to resolve this critical bottleneck and make exosome isolation efficient, automated, and precise.
The Innovation: AcouSome
AcouSome, an EIC Transition funded project, aims to marry acoustic separation with acoustic trapping into one seamless, automated chip-based platform. The technology leverages the proven acoustofluidic methods developed by Lund University to separate not only plasma from blood but also capture those elusive exosomes efficiently. While current technologies deploy mostly manual approaches that are expensive and unsuited for clinical-use applications, AcouSome ventures into cost-effective polymer chips that offer more stable performance at a fraction of the price.
Why AcouSome Stands Out
Efficiency & Purity: Isolate enough exosomes quickly and cleanly for detection and analysis.
Stability & Robustness: Reduce human error and variability to ensure reliable diagnostic outcomes.
Speed & Integration: Designed for rapid point-of-care testing and high-throughput lab diagnostics.
Automation & Scale: No more labour-intensive steps, paving the way for wide diagnostic applicability.
Cost-effectieness: Optimized for high-throughput diagnostic samples with cost constraints in mind.
The Market & Scalability
It's not just a product; it's a platform. AcouSome is designed to be a key component for life science companies creating disposable diagnostic devices. The device aims to grab a slice of the in-vitro diagnostics market, valued at a staggering 96 billion USD in 2021 and set to grow to 149 billion USD by 2028. AcouSome isn't just looking at a market; it's looking at an expanding universe of opportunities.
Challenges & The Road Ahead
While prototype chips in polymer material have been developed, their performance needs further optimization. The project will explore various manufacturing techniques for scalable production, including injection molding and Roll2Roll.
AcouSome & MIH Partnership
Microfluidics Innovation Hub (MIH) is proud to be part of this pioneering journey. We bring expertise in optimizing fluidic chip design and polymer material, enabling AcouSort to move from prototype to market-ready products.
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