DELRAY BEACH, Fla., May 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or "Company") (OTCBB:PSID), an emerging growth company and developer of advanced technologies for diabetes management as well as sophisticated airborne bio-threat detection systems for America's homeland defense, today announced its MicroFluidic Systems ("MFS") subsidiary is collaborating with the University of Nevada to complete development of the Company's biodosimetry cartridge for measuring radiation levels. MFS' biodosimetry cartridge is designed to enable clinicians and security personnel to measure the absorbed radiation doses quickly so that appropriate medical treatments can be implemented sooner.
MFS is developing a clinical diagnostic countermeasure system as an automated platform for rapid identification of radiation exposure in less than one hour, with a target of 30 minutes or less. Current comparable systems and detection technologies can take up to two to five days and may require laborious steps. MFS is working with Jeffrey S. Thompson, Dean, College of Science and Professor of Physics at the University, to receive irradiated blood samples that are necessary to continue the development and testing of the biodosimetry cartridge.
The microfluidics-based platform under development for autonomous rapid diagnostics is a fully integrated system that uses PositiveID's recently patented Dragonfly cartridge, which combines sample collection, preparation and purification, analysis, response, and reporting of results all within a multiplexed radiation response biomarker cartridge. The generic form factor cartridge will contain target specific multiplex assays with the precision of molecular diagnostics in an easy-to-use format. Integrating the entire protocol from sample input to results in a single, sealed cartridge will greatly simplify the process and reduce the time to attain results.
William J. Caragol, PositiveID's Chairman and CEO, stated, "We are pleased to work with the University of Nevada, one of the few institutions that has and maintains a radiation source where such samples can be exposed and used for development and testing. Responding to the intentional use of nuclear devices such as a small radiological dispersal device or accidental nuclear exposure such as what occurred in Japan, presents a specialized area with unique challenges and considerations. Consequently, the detection of dangerous radiation levels at asymptomatic or early illness signs enables significant opportunities for early prevention and appropriate medical treatment."
The target panel included in the cartridge has multiple potential uses in public health scenarios involving radiation terrorism, as well as monitoring clinical progress during radiotherapy. Unlike the current gold standard for radiation exposure and dosimetry (Paul et al. 2008), Dicentric Assay, the Company's system and assay will be completely automated and produce results in less than one hour.
For a point-of-care system to be successful, a combination of simple sampling procedures, easy to understand analysis, and appropriate medical decisions that will lead to a better state of health have to be met. The system that MFS is developing will be capable of functioning in limited-resource conditions, small clinics, medical military establishments, or hospitals. MFS is extending its already developed and proven automated biodetection technologies to meet the challenges for an integrated approach to simultaneously detect gene expression changes in response to radiation exposure in a fast and automated manner. The completed diagnostic system will be capable of analyzing whole blood or peripheral blood lymphocytes.
About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is an emerging growth company and developer of advanced technologies for diabetes management and rapid medical testing, as well as airborne bio-threat detection systems for America's homeland defense industry. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Microfluidic Systems, or MFS, is focused on the development of microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and performance of biological assays in order to detect biological threats at high-value locations, as well as analyze samples in a medical environment.
For more information on PositiveID, please visit http://www.PositiveIDCorp.com.
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Statements about PositiveID's future expectations, including the likelihood that MFS' biodosimetry cartridge is designed to enable clinicians and security personnel to measure the absorbed radiation doses quickly so that appropriate medical treatments can be implemented sooner; the likelihood that MFS is developing a clinical diagnostic countermeasure system as an automated platform for rapid identification of radiation exposure in less than one hour, with a target of 30 minutes or less; the likelihood that the generic form factor cartridge will contain target specific multiplex assays with the precision of molecular diagnostics in an easy-to-use format; the likelihood that integrating the entire protocol from sample input to results in a single, sealed cartridge will greatly simplify the process and reduce the time to attain results; the likelihood that the detection of dangerous radiation levels at asymptomatic or early illness signs enables significant opportunities for early prevention and appropriate medical treatment; the likelihood that the Company's system and assay will be completely automated and produce results in less than one hour; the likelihood that for a point-of-care system to be successful, a combination of simple sampling procedures, easy to understand analysis, and appropriate medical decisions that will lead to a better state of health have to be met; the likelihood that the system that MFS is developing will be capable of functioning in limited-resource conditions, small clinics, medical military establishments, or hospitals; the likelihood that the completed diagnostic system will be capable of analyzing whole blood or peripheral blood lymphocytes; and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and PositiveID's actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include PositiveID's ability to successfully commercialize its biodosimetry product and Dragonfly product, as well as certain other risks. Additional information about these and other factors that could affect the Company's business is set forth in the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those set forth in the Company's 10-K filed on March 28, 2012, and 10-Qs filed on May 13, 2011, August 15, 2011, and November 14, 2011, under the caption "Risk Factors." The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.