NZ disease scanner not far off the real McCoy

A biotechnology company that started life in an Auckland garage has produced a scanner that can quickly screen patients for a range of diseases.

It's not quite the "tricorder" used over 40 years ago by Dr "Bones" McCoy to diagnose patients in the original Star Trek television series - the device still requires a tiny pinprick of blood.

Pictor Ltd has signed deals with partners in India and Europe for the screening technology, which can test for multiple medical conditions simultaneously, with results provided almost instantly in a printout.

Pictor co-founder Anand Kumble said the new system could be used in laboratories with only basic medical infrastructure and limited access to sophisticated diagnostic equipment. The company's screening panel for rheumatoid arthritis is being piloted in India, at a network of sites around the country linked to a central laboratory in Bombay.

In New Zealand, Pictor has developed screening panels for three of the most prevalent viral infections: hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV/Aids.

Other potential applications include an annual check-up to screen for common diseases.

"It's also ideal to use with babies and young children because you need only a tiny amount of blood or fluid to test for a variety of diseases," said Dr Kumble.

It is also being evaluated for use in animal health: a big veterinary diagnostic manufacturer in Europe has asked the company to research whether the technology could supplant existing tests.

- NZPA