Problem being addressed[edit | edit source]
With drug-resistant strains of TB outpacing the effectiveness of available treatments, this disease is again on the rise, infecting more than 8 million people every year. As the current treatments are expensive (up to 40000$), TB is prevalent in resource-limited settings. The disease is also especially deadly to those with HIV.
Detailed description of the solution[edit | edit source]
TBDx is a fully automated sputum smear (mucus) microscopy diagnostic solution for the detection of TB. It adds image processing to the routine smear microscopy, has a step-by-step guide for setup and process initialization, utilizes touchscreen capabilities and simple to understand features, and can support up to a 200-slide autoloader system for higher production environments. These features, combined with a lower cost-per-slide (~2.50$ compared to 10$), a reduction in the manpower needed (fully automated system), its ability to be used in a mobile laboratory environment, and its speed (reduced time from 6 minutes per slide to 2) can lead to savings of 79$ per case detected, or 66.9% savings of the typical cost of diagnosis.
Designed by[edit | edit source]
- Designed by: Signature Mapping Medical Sciences, Inc
- Manufacturer (if different): Guardian
- Manufacturer location: Virginia, USA
When and where it was tested/implemented[edit | edit source]
The TBDx held clinical trials in South Africa, and the Aurum Institute for Health Research ordered three TBDx systems in 2011.
Funding Source[edit | edit source]
US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
References[edit | edit source]
Peer-reviewed publication[edit | edit source]
Other internally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Signature Mapping TBDxTM Technical Data Sheet. Retrieved 1 July, 2014 from http://tbevidence.org/documents/rescentre/sop/SMTBDX%20System%20Datasheet%20V11%20Automated.pdf
Externally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Conway-Smith E. (Mar 24 2014). "Why Africa's drug-resistant tuberculosis is proving so hard to fight." Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/140321/tuberculosis.
Highly Successful Clinical Trial Results Advance Signature Mapping TBDx Solution to Operational Evaluation in South Africa (Dec 22 2010). Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://www.advfn.com/news_Highly-Successful-Clinical-Trial-Results-Advance-S_45762842.html
Signature Mapping TBDxTM Demonstrates Positive Resulsts (June 21 2010). Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://markets.financialcontent.com/pe/news/read?GUID=13537430
Lewis J, Chihota V, van der Meulen M, Fourie P, Fielding K, Grant A, Dorman S, Churchyard G. "Proof-Of-Concept" Evaluation of an Automated Sputum Smear Microscopy System for Tuberculosis Diagnosis (Nov 29 2012). Retrieved July 1, 2014 from http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0050173