A New Era in the Application of Lab-on-a-Chip to Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnosis

ATLANTA, May 17 /PRNewswire/ — Hai Kang Life Corporation Limited (HKLife) announces further developments of its patented field-assisted LOAC (Lab-on-a-Chip) system, EFADchip technology at the BIO 2009 International Convention, the Global Event for Biotechnology held in Atlanta, through 18-21 May 2009. The BIO International Convention is the largest annual gathering for the biotechnology industry and attracts the biggest names in biotech, offers key networking and partnering opportunities and provides insights and inspiration on the major trends affecting the industry.

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Concurrent with the BIO Convention, HKLife also launches two new additions to its existing product portfolio: a Diagnostic Test Kit for Influenza Type A/H1N1 and a MOBILE FIELD UNIT ensuring effective deployment of diagnostic testing for point-of-care applications. The test kits have been developed in rapid response to the 2009 novel influenza A (H1N1) virus outbreak, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for all member states to enhance surveillance and diagnostic capacities for influenza and other acute respiratory infections. The MOBILE FIELD UNIT will deliver sensitive and accurate diagnostic capabilities to resource-limited urban, rural and remote locations where access to conventional clinical laboratories may be precluded.

Company Founder, Chairman and CEO, Professor Albert C. H. Yu will be speaking at the Bio Business Forum on Wednesday 20 May. Dr Yu is a renowned neuroscientist and bio-entrepreneur. His broad, cross-cultural experience and active involvement in both the academic and business environment led to the strategic vision behind the success of the HKLife team. Meanwhile, COO and General Manager, Dr. Terence L.T. Lau has been instrumental in driving HKLife and its subsidiaries. His success and achievements in both academia and bio-commercial endeavors continues to bring HKLife’s vision of becoming “the world’s leading molecular diagnostics company” closer to fruition. HKLife has pioneered the development of advanced and ground-breaking DNA-based diagnostic technologies and leveraging a unique business model, steered the development of its novel EFADchip technology into a fully-functional platform. Thus, the company has created the impetus to revolutionize the practice of clinical and point-of-care diagnostics and ultimately establish HKLife as a prominent player in driving Asia into the globally competitive biotechnology arena.

The EFADchip technology uses electric field-assisted DNA hybridization to accelerate the detection of biological samples on a single chip. The key differentiator of this technology is the use of a dielectric material for both electric field generation and capture probe DNA immobilization, thus avoiding adverse electrochemical effects that can lead to reduced sensitivity and accuracy of detection. The EFADchip is fabricated using widely available materials and common photolithographic techniques well known in the miniaturized electronics industry, resulting in a structure that is inherently stable under varying ambient conditions.

Type A/H1N1 detection kits are available across three diagnostic technology platforms: VDS makes use of the highly advanced nucleic acid sequence-based amplification – enzyme-linked oligonucleotide capture (NASBA-EOC). The VDS technology has an advantage of not requiring the use of specialized equipment; VetDetect utilizes real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and VetScreen employs the conventional gel-based RT-PCR technique. All three platforms are highly sensitive and specific, giving rapid and accurate results within two to four hours.

HKLife’s MOBILE FIELD UNIT is also available with a choice of technology platforms, either NASBA-EOC (enzyme-linked oligonucleotide capture) or a recently developed, patented and validated NASBA-POC (point-of-care) molecular diagnostics technology. Convenient, reliable and specific amplification of the target RNA is achieved under isothermal conditions, alleviating the requirement for thermo-cycling. Combined with a simple optical method of detection that does not require complex fluorescence equipment, the system offers sensitivity comparable to Real-Time PCR.

About HKLife:

Hai Kang Life Corporation Limited, formerly known as Hong Kong DNA Chips, was established with independent research funding in 1999. The company is strategically positioned at the hub of Asian biotechnology, equipped with the most advanced research and production facilities in both Beijing and Hong Kong. Strong working relationships with academic institutions, government and industry partners have created a solid foundation for business success. The world-class team of scientists, engineers and technologists, supported by a highly esteemed Scientific Advisory Board, is committed to maintaining HKLife’s position at the forefront of bio-business, leveraging best practices from both East and West.

For more information about HKLife’s EFADchip, Diagnostic Test Kit for Influenza Type A/H1N1 and MOBILE FIELD UNIT visit http://www.haikanglife.com

Contact: media@haikanglife.com

Visit us at BIO, booth H2249

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan