Automated multi-marker analysis for sepsis diagnosis and therapy monitoring (AutoSeps)

Quantification of sepsis-relevant biomarkers with a compact multi-sample analyser for fast and precise decision support for the management of sepsis patients, the use of antibiotics and therapy monitoring

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that must be identified and closely monitored within the first hour, as it can be fatal if left untreated. Current diagnostic methods, such as blood cultures or detection of pathogenic nucleic acids, are too slow and not quantitative. The quantification of blood biomarkers, which increase during sepsis, offers a reliable solution for early detection and therapy monitoring (antibiotic stewardship). The aim is to demonstrate with real clinical samples the performance of a new bead-based immunoassay that can quantify three sepsis-relevant inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin 6 (IL-6)) in less than one hour. This will be done in a fully automated, compact, near-patient device that can process up to 96 samples in an hour. The expected benefits include improved diagnostics, reduced mortality, reduced antibiotic resistance and reduced healthcare costs.