HealthID

 

PositiveID's HealthID division provides innovative health solutions for consumers, animals and businesses, specifically a rapid virus detection system for the H1N1 virus and other forms of influenza and pandemic viruses, and a glucose-sensing RFID microchip, both of which are currently under development with partner RECEPTORS LLC. The Company also offers its Health Link personal health record to help consumers manage their health records online.

 

PositiveID's HealthID business is based primarily on the company's history in RFID. The company offers a first-of-its-kind system for patient identification. Its VeriMed™ system for patient identification consists of an FDA-cleared RFID human implantable microchip that links to a personal health record and can help hospital personnel treat a non-communicative patient quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency. The microchip contains only a 16-digit number that when scanned with our handheld reader, connects to our secure online database. The database houses the patient’s identification information and personal health record data.
   
Bio-sensors

 

In addition to our intellectual property surrounding our implantable RFID microchip for patient identification, we own patents related to an embedded bio-sensor system. One potential application of this bio-sensor system is an implantable bio-sensing RFID microchip to measure glucose levels in the body.

 

In late 2007, we entered into an agreement with RECEPTORS LLC, an expert in the field of proteomics and the development of artificial receptors to develop a prototype renewable glucose sensor to use in conjunction with an implantable bio-sensing RFID microchip to measure glucose levels in the human body. RECEPTORS has successfully completed Phase I of the project and has begun Phase II.

 

In Phase I of its glucose development, RECEPTORS LLC successfully prepared prototype examples for both the glucose-selective binding environment and the glucose-competitive signaling component.  These critical components were used to demonstrate the bench-top format application of the glucose-sensing system to the detection of glucose levels. This demonstration is the proof-of-concept foundation of the glucose-sensing system.

 

Pandemic Virus Detection

 

PositiveID is also developing a rapid virus detection system for the H1N1 virus and other pandemic illnesses. The virus triage detection system, based on RECEPTORS' patented AFFINITY by DESIGN™ CARA™ platform, is intended to initially provide two levels of identification within minutes. Once developed, utilizing a simple test tube or strip device format that can be combined with an inexpensive reader, it is expected that the first level will prep the sample and identify the agent as a flu or non-flu virus, and the second level will sub-type (e.g. H1N1) classify the flu virus and alert the user to the presence of pandemic threat viruses.

 

Importantly, PositiveID believes the influenza triage diagnostic system will be scalable and will be able to be rapidly adapted to identify new strains of influenza and other viruses as they evolve, giving the virus triage detection system value for future testing applications in healthcare.