Philips and Banyan Biomarkers partner to develop and commercialise new handheld blood test to detect and evaluate concussions

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Philips and Banyan Biomarkers have announced that they have entered into a multi-year joint development agreement to develop and commercialise a new handheld blood test to detect and evaluate mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the point of care. The new handheld test will be based on Philips’ Minicare I-20 system. The financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Point-of-care diagnostics for acute care settings, such as handheld blood tests for Emergency Departments, will play a critical role in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs,” says Marcel van Kasteel, CEO of Handheld Diagnostics at Philips. “Our innovative Minicare technology platform and partnerships are a firm foundation for our ambition to become a leader in this new growth market.”

“A rapid and objective point-of-care test to evaluate traumatic brain injury will help millions of patients throughout the world,” says Jackson Streeter, Banyan Biomarkers. “This partnership with Philips to develop and commercialise a TBI blood test on the Minicare system is an important step forward in providing physicians and other healthcare providers information to evaluate patients who have suffered a concussion.”

Banyan Biomarkers has identified two proteins that rapidly appear in the blood of patients soon after injury. The new blood test to detect the proteins will be based on Philips’ Minicare I-20 system. The system consists of a handheld analyser, dedicated software and a single use, disposable cartridge containing the application specific test.  Based on Philips’ proprietary Magnotech biosensor technology, the Minicare I-20 system is being developed to detect multiple target molecules at low concentrations with a blood sample and to show the results on the analyser display within minutes.

Van Kasteel adds, “This partnership will broaden the menu offering on our Minicare I-20 system and will strengthen our competitive position in point-of-care diagnostics for the Emergency Department.”

The Minicare activities are part of Philips’ Handheld Diagnostics business, which has its headquarters and manufacturing lines at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.