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January 31, 2011 | Customer News

Tecan and Sword Diagnostics announce availability of high performance immunoassay detection technology

Männedorf, Switzerland, January 31, 2011 – Tecan and Sword Diagnostics today announced availability of a high performance immunoassay detection technology based on Sword’s proprietary detection reagents and Tecan’s Infinite® line of plate readers. The reagents are initially being offered for sale in the USA, for use with the Infinite M1000 and Infinite 200 PRO series readers. 

 

The combined Tecan/Sword offering represents the first revolution in mainstream detection technology for more than 15 years, and provides researchers with a rapid method to improve immunoassay performance in life science applications. The Sword technology extends sensitivity over current detection technologies, while being easily incorporated into assays that use a peroxidase-based detection system. Further benefits include precision and accuracy at low concentrations, allowing assay developers to improve overall assay performance, use smaller sample volumes and decrease overall time to results.

 

“We are pleased to be working with Sword Diagnostics on this joint launch,” said Frederic Vanderhaegen, Senior Vice President, Head BU Life Science for Tecan. “The simplicity in improving immunoassay performance that this product provides is of great importance to our customers.”

 

“Sword is excited to be working with an innovative and well-respected company like Tecan,” added Dave Dingott, Sword’s President and CEO. “This very high quality line of plate readers is a perfect fit for our performance enhancing reagents.”

 

The Infinite M1000, Tecan’s flagship modular multimode microplate reader, is equipped with premium Quad4 Monochromators™ technology and also features adjustable bandwidth settings to ultra-fine tune the amount of excitation and emission light and optimize the sensitivity for fluorescence-based measurements. The Infinite 200 PRO series provides excellent wavelength accuracy, specificity and reproducibility of monochromator-based technology. It offers the possibility to combine reagent dispensing with fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance in an affordable reader platform for the complete range of life science applications.

 

Sword’s technology utilizes a unique substrate that generates a light scattering, energy exchanged (Raman) signal. The principle of the Raman ELISA substrate is similar to that of colorimetric assays where a nearly colorless compound is oxidized by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in an ELISA to form a colored reagent that is quantified by a plate reader. Sword’s substrate is a molecule with a very low Raman signal but, after oxidation by HRP and development with the Sword reagents, it has a strong and quantitative Raman signal that can be measured using the fluorescence channel of Tecan plate readers.

 

To find out more about the Tecan’s Infinite series plate readers,
visit http://www.tecan.com/infinite200
and http://www.tecan.com/infiniteM1000

 

To find out more about Sword Diagnostics, visit http://www.sworddiagnostics.com
 

 

For more information please contact

Tecan Trading AG
Tanja Sager
Seestrasse 103
CH-8708 Männedorf

Tel +41 (0)44 922 81 11
Fax +41 (0)44 922 81 12

info@tecan.com
www.tecan.com

 


About Tecan

Tecan (www.tecan.com) is a leading global provider of laboratory instruments and solutions in biopharmaceuticals, forensics, and clinical diagnostics. The company specializes in the development, production and distribution of instruments and automated workflow solutions for laboratories in the life sciences sector. As an original equipment manufacturer, Tecan is also a leader in developing and manufacturing OEM instruments and components that are then distributed by partner companies. Founded in Switzerland in 1980, the company has manufacturing, research and development sites in both Europe and North America and maintains a sales and service network in 52 countries. In 2009, Tecan generated sales of CHF 392 million (USD 361.2 million; EUR 259.6 million). Registered shares of Tecan Group are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (TK: TECN/Reuters: TECZn.S/ ISIN CH0012100191).

 

 


About Sword Diagnostics

Sword Diagnostics (www.sworddiagnostics.com) is a life sciences company dedicated to providing next-generation detection technology for use in medical research, drug discovery and diagnostic testing. Sword’s proprietary detection reagents improve performance of antibody-based tests, allowing researchers to accelerate identification of existing and emerging disease markers, and more closely investigate unexplored or underexplored diagnostic applications. These advances allow earlier, more accurate detection of cancer and other diseases, allowing early stage invention, improved prognosis and, ultimately lower healthcare costs.

 

Sword’s technology is marketed for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and academic life science research, and will be integrated into clinical diagnostic assays through partnerships with diagnostics manufacturers.