An emerging healthcare technology company, Zenosense is the holder of an exclusive global license agreement for the development and marketing of a device for use in hospitals to detect the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus “Super-Bug” (MRSA). MRSA is a super bug with tremendous implications for strong adverse effects in healthcare delivery: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MRSA is responsible for over 11,000 deaths and 80,000 invasive infections per year in just the United States. Annually, those infections give rise to around $3.2-4.2 billion in U.S. treatment costs. Overall, the CDC reports that these statistics do not take into consideration the numbers of less severe infections that have arisen from MRSA.
MRSA is part of a classification of infections that are acquired in healthcare settings, which are known as “healthcare-associated infections” (HAIs). On a global scale, it is estimated that of every 100 hospitalized patients at any given time, 7 in developed countries and 10 in developing countries will acquire at least one HAI. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimate that one out of every 20 people develop an HAI. In total, approximately 2 million HAIs are associated with nearly 100,000 deaths each year and are directly responsible for at least 23,000 deaths per year in the United States by itself.
With these conditions in place, it is clear that advanced diagnostics tools capable of rapid and effective detection of sources of contamination will greatly strengthen healthcare delivery. The CDC has issued a report that estimates such diagnostic tools could give rise to $25-31.5 billion in medical cost savings. With MRSA accounting for a significant portion of HAI cases, the market opportunity for an effective MRSA detection device is tremendous.
Through its partner, the Sgneia Group, Zenosense is working to develop and market an air sniffing device that aptly and precisely detects MRSA. “Electronic nose” devices have been shown to exhibit strong capabilities for detection of other harmful bacteria; the International Space Station, for one, has an Airsense system, which is capable of detecting in real time various bacteria or diseases, such as lung cancer. However, these existing systems are bulky, costly, and hard to install in healthcare settings like patient rooms or emergency healthcare facilities. This is where Zenosense and its partner’s coming medical innovation offers potential as a medical game-changer.
Zenosense’s MRSA detection device will utilize a single commercial, “off-the-shelf” gas sensor for sampling the air and continuously monitoring for an airborne Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”) signature emitted by MRSA. This VOC signature only appears when MRSA has infected and expressed itself as a disease in a patient, but not necessarily before a patient shows obvious signs of infection. Early detection of this deadly infection, in turn, can help healthcare providers in staging early care interventions and reducing their treatment costs.
While the device will be revolutionary in its functionality and ease-of-use, Zenosense anticipates it being a highly cost-effective detection option as well. Specialized hardware developed by Zenosense’s partner will enable the detection system to perform MRSA identification aptly with just one sensor. Zenosense says that competitor devices may require as many as 8 to 32 sensors with supporting components for the same efficacy. Because it will not be as manufacturing-intensive, the detection unit could be made available to healthcare settings for a cost per unit below $100.
As Zenosense gains further traction in the development, approval, and bring-to-market efforts of this revolutionary medical device, its initiatives are being steered by experienced management and development teams with professional and medical-space savvy across a range of areas. These include: material engineering, business development, advanced sensor technologies development, advanced technical systems and software development, effective business strategy mapping and prioritization, market development of products across a range of sectors, scientific research, and industrial engineering, among others.
For more information, visit: www.zenosense.net
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