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The Defense Department has awarded a $150,000 grant to medical device firm Pharmaco-Kinesis Corp. to develop a carbon-nanotube-based biosensor technology for early detection of organ injuries, an expansion of PKC’s current Nano-Impedance Biosensor.
PKC said Monday that it was awarded the grant through the DoD Defense Health Program’s Small Business Innovation Research initiative after the Pentagon carried out a review process.
“Pharmaco-Kinesis Corporation has demonstrated proof-of-concept of the nano-biosensor technology in detecting cancer biomarkers, and we now look to expand this technology into the portable point-of-care diagnostic market,” said Frank Adell, chief executive officer of PKC.
Through the company’s Smart Drug Delivery System, NIB was originally used to detect cancer biomarkers in the brain and PKC aims to use the tool to detect kidney and liver injury biomarkers in urine and blood.
“We believe by providing an early warning of acute organ injury, this device will ultimately decrease morbidity and increase the quality of life of patients at risk for organ failure, while saving our healthcare system a significant amount of resources,” noted Adell.
Upon completion of the Phase I development work, PKC can apply for a Phase II grant that could be worth up to $1 million.
