EyeMarker RTD1000 Offers First Non-Invasive Detection Of Botulism

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 15 Dec 2008 - 3:00 PST

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EyeMarker Systems has been given the first results of a trial testing the RTD1000's effectiveness in detecting poisoning with botulinum toxin. Doctors are thrilled the device has now twice correctly identified patient exposure to botulinum toxin, a deadly food-borne neurotoxic protein.

The EyeMarker RTD1000 is an automated, portable, noninvasive device that in two minutes or less can assess, by measuring the pupil or retina of the eye, if an individual has been exposed to any of a series of toxins, including botulinum, organophosphate nerve agents, cyanide and carbon monoxide. The device was developed with an initial DARPA grant and several rounds of TSWG funding and guidance.

Alaska was chosen as a test location for evaluation on patients with potential botulinum toxin exposure (botulism) since the state has the highest incidence of food-borne botulism in the United States. The RTD1000 correctly identified, within two minutes, botulism in one suspected case, and the absence of botulism in another case. Both results were verified through laboratory testing.

"What an amazing device!" said a neurologist working with the EyeMarker RTD1000. "We see cases of botulism regularly, and each case can take up to four days or more to identify. The RTD1000 immediate determination can make a significant difference in our timing of effective treatment of botulism."

Michael S. Ascher, MD, FACP, a consultant to TSWG and a nationally known expert in biodefense, is coordinating the Alaska effort. Ascher has observed: "The findings are very dramatic and represent a clear proof-of-concept for the device in the diagnosis of exposure to botulinum toxin."

"To date, diagnosis of botulism requires invasive action, specifically a blood draw and injection of the sample into a mouse. It takes 24 hours or more to receive results," said Wes McGee, CEO of EyeMarker Systems. "For certain toxins, those 24 hours could be the difference between life and death."

EyeMarker Systems, Inc. has been committed to the research, discovery and commercialization of innovative ocular screening technology since its founding in 2001. Based in Morgantown, West Virginia, founded by scientists at The Eye Institute at West Virginia University, and nurtured at the WVU Business Incubator, the company has received five patents to date in its development of the EyeMarker Platform and image analysis software for its Ocular Scanning Instrument.

EyeMarker Systems, Inc.