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Technology Transfer from the University of Oxford

Oxford Medical Diagnostics Ltd

Oxford Medical Diagnostics Ltd, the 39th company to spin out from Oxford since 1997, is developing a way of diagnosing disease simply by testing someone's breath.

The company uses laser-based techniques for the analysis of gases, and its initial focus is the development of a platform for detecting minute quantities of markers in exhaled breath.
The 'breath test' method, based on research by Professor Gus Hancock's group in the Chemistry Department, is very sensitive, is non-invasive for the patient, and gives a result in seconds. Oxford Medical Diagnostics will develop the technology into a cost-effective desktop device for doctors to use at the point of care.

Human and animal breath contains hundreds of trace volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, some of which are characteristic markers for disease. Analysis of breath can help doctors to diagnose diseases, and breath tests are already used by clinicians, most commonly to diagnose stomach ulcers by monitoring the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the bacterium Helicobacter Pylori. Oxford Medical Diagnostics uses Cavity Enhanced Laser Spectroscopy to study the gases present in breath by detecting overtones of the fundamental frequencies of the trace compounds.

Contact

Mr Roy Johnson, CEO
T 01494 446651
E royjohnson71@btopenworld.com