Pocket laboratory enables modern diagnostics anywhere

When Stefan Fraedrich, founder of Anvajo GmbH, was working in a Ghanaian hospital, he realised: Blood or urine samples can be taken anywhere on site. However, the distances to the next analysis in the nearest laboratory are often long and the laboratory infrastructure is usually inadequate, which makes it very difficult to diagnose diseases. Consequently, the laboratory has to come to the people. For decades, people around the world have been working on the challenge of being able to use high-performance laboratory technology anywhere. With the portable laboratory device fluidlab, which is no bigger than a smartphone, the Dresden-based company is now making several innovative leaps forward at once.

„With cell analysis and clinical chemistry, we are bringing two fundamental technologies of clinical diagnostics to a device that combines microscopy and spectrometry in a pocket-sized format. It can potentially be used wherever disease markers need to be determined in body fluids and is so easy to use that patients can even operate it themselves. This not only eliminates transport routes, but therapy or disease progression can also be monitored directly at home. Instead of waiting days, the laboratory results are available in just a few minutes, explains Oliver Schurat, Head of Business Units Health & Vet at Anvajo GmbH.

The company is currently in the final development phase of the second generation of the fluidlab device. Following successful testing by the TÜV, the smart laboratory will soon receive CE certification for authorisation in the EU and will be equipped with applications for the healthcare market in the next step. Clinical trials and market entry are already planned for 2024. In addition, the first generation of the fluidlab has already established itself worldwide in veterinary medicine and in the field of cell analysis research. In order to open up further markets, Anvajo GmbH is also working on fluidlab 2.0 for these areas in parallel to the application for humans. The company is currently scaling its operational business in order to be able to produce several thousand devices per month.

Winning the Life Sciences Cluster Prize at this year's IQ Innovation Award Central Germany and the resulting high visibility have given Anvajo GmbH a particular boost in its search for new employees. „By winning the IQ competition, we have become much better known. This was also reflected in the jobs we advertised: the number of qualified applicants has increased significantly since we took part,

says Oliver Schurat.

Article from the "Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland" from 8 September 2023