eMALDI provides faster analysis, improved detection sensitivity, easy and fault-free analysis for the popular analytical chemistry technique MALDI. Hence eMALDI brings out the true potential of the leading analysis method MALDI-MS. By improving speed and quantitative comparability eMALDI technology is expected to revolutionize MALDI-based analytical testing and contribute to society’s well-being. eMALDI technology may open up new markets for MALDI-MS and make analytical testing accessible to all levels of social institutions from microbiological pathogen detection, personalized medical testing, food quality testing and assurance.
Compared to existing technologies, eMALDI is providing:
1) Simple, repeatable, fault-free analysis for MALDI technique. Repeatability and consistency of signal is key to all analytical methods. eMALDI eliminates both spatial and sample-to-sample variations in MALDI measurements providing error-free measurements. Where a combinatorial analysis is must (i.e biological samples), error-free repeatable analysis enable users to analyse more samples at lower costs (instrument, user-time, samples)
2) Improved detection sensitivity (up to 150x). By lowering detection limits, eMALDI provides better results with smaller amounts of valuable samples (1 sample is enough compared to 3-5 samples needed in traditional MALDI)
3) Faster detection process: (from 10 – 30 min. to 1-2 min.). eMALDI eliminates the time consuming search of signal-rich “hot spots” saving precious manual user time (cost and energy saving). With more consistent and repeatable results, the total number of measurements needed to get statistically accurate results decreases.
4) Identical sample preparation procedure as MALDI-MS. No extensive training needed for end-users such as lab technicians. Target plates can be used in any MALDI-MS instruments without need of adaptors
5) Versatility. eMALDI can be used in different fields of applications (food and environment safety analysis).
We expect that the benefits of our technology will apply to a wide range of the application areas of standard MALDI-MS. The research fields of application of standard MALDI-MS include pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, industrial chemistry, environmental testing, food & beverage testing, clinical use and academic research. The key application area selected as primary target market for eMALDI is health and biomedical diagnostics, including in particular rapid identification of bacterial microorganism and detection of biomarkers for diseases, two very promising fields, for which mass spectrometry is of already significant and rapidly growing relevance.
eMALDI is a novel diagnostic solution with a very high social and commercial impact. The faster operation analysis, and the better analytical results obtained with eMALDI will benefit MALDI-MS end-users saving up to 57% of costs (instruments, user-time, sample materials) instead of more expensive available techniques. It will also benefit MALDI-MS instrument manufacturers since this improvement will encourage users to buy their equipment. Thanks to the introduction and demonstration of eMALDI into the clinical application, we will also answer to the insufficiencies in current diagnostic practice and contribute to making bacterial infection monitoring economically feasible, faster and more accurate. Clinical effectiveness will be shown in comparisons with established laboratory diagnostic approaches commonly used to detect bacteria and biomarkers.
As for the clinical application of eMALDI, we can evaluate the eMALDI economic benefit by analyzing direct costs (all spending incurred in lab testing, medicines, hospital stays, materials and consumables and staff time) and indirect costs (loss of economic activity during the patient recovery time; insurgence of new infections) which will be drastically reduced thanks to a quicker patient’s infection detection. eMALDI plates can be sold into the market for a price which is very competitive compared to the advanced pre-spotted target plates in the market. Laboratories can drastically reduce their costs by using the eMALDI disposable target plates, since our plates can be used in any MALDI-MS equipment, without needing any additional adjustment nor technical knowledge. In addition to the price advantage, our sample preparation process, by eliminating the 16 hour needed for culturing steps, will reduce the analysis time for positive blood cultures to less than 1 hour from the 24 hours needed in a standard MALDI-MS and can make a very large impact on shortening the time spent in hospital, the resources used in patient care, and a more rapid return to work for working age patients. The principal economic impact for healthcare systems using eMALDI is the reduction in direct costs paid by health services for the patient treatment (cheaper and more efficient technology) and the indirect costs (savings from HCAI infections and shorter hospitalization time).
Furthermore, applicability of eMALDI to a vast number of samples that vary in biological complexity and content will be a solution to different social issues, ranging from drug safety – limiting the adverse drug reaction (ADR)- pharmacovigilance, pharma and biological drug testing, ADA (anti drug antibodies) biomarkers detection (pharmaceutical and biotechnology application), food and water quality, environmental protection (cross borders controls, food and environmental security application).
