Molbio Diagnostics, SigTuple Collab To Build Next-gen Point-of-care Diagnostics

Molbio Diagnostics, developer of the Truenat RT-PCR platform is collaborating with SigTuple, a medtech startup in the field of AI for diagnostics, to build next generation AI enabled portable devices for many routines but critical diagnostic tests, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

The company's statement stated that these devices will enable testing to be performed at the point-of-care – a doctor’s chamber, a public health centre, or an emergency room of a hospital – without having to send samples to central laboratories. 

Currently, most diagnostic tests happen in clinical laboratories. Worldwide, there is a push to decentralize diagnostics, and take testing closer to the patient. The aim is to reduce turnaround time for testing, reduce errors, and help in early diagnosis and initiation of correct treatment, the statement read.

"With an aim to bridge this gap and enable most basic tests to be performed at near patient settings, Molbio and SigTuple are joining hands to collaborate on the development of AI powered, battery operated, portable devices for many diagnostic tests in the fields of Hematology, Biochemistry, Electrochemistry and others," the company's statement added.

Molbio Diagnostics further claimed that the testing process will be extremely simplified and will not require a trained laboratory technician to perform the tests. Accurate, laboratory-quality test results will be available to the patient within a few minutes. 

"The blood test market worldwide is today around USD 75-80 billion. With decentralization of basic testing, this market has the potential to increase by at least 2X, and the cost to the end patient to come down by at least half," the statement read.

Sriram Natarajan, CEO, Director and Co-Founder, Molbio Diagnostics, said, "We are delighted to join with SigTuple in our Universal Access Mission and accelerate development of next gen devices that will not only fill this gap but also provide instant reports through Artificial Intelligence to enable immediate intervention and create a positive impact on patient and societal well-being." 

Commenting on the collaboration, Tathagato Rai Dastidar, Founder & CEO, SigTuple, said, “We are truly honoured and excited to partner with Molbio, a proven leader in portable diagnostic devices, in building this product. Together, we will be able to bring this revolutionary technology into the market faster. The partnership is also a strong vote of confidence on the technological prowess of SigTuple.”