Availability of High Performance Immunoassay Detection Technology

Tecan and Sword Diagnostics have announced the availability of a high performance immunoassay detection technology based on Sword’s proprietary detection reagents and Tecan’s Infinite® line of plate readers. The reagents are initially being offered for sale in the USA, for use with the Infinite M1000 and Infinite 200 PRO series readers.

The combined Tecan/Sword offering represents the first revolution in mainstream detection technology for more than 15 years, and provides researchers with a rapid method to improve immunoassay performance in life science applications. The Sword technology extends sensitivity over current detection technologies, while being easily incorporated into assays that use a peroxidase-based detection system. Further benefits include precision and accuracy at low concentrations, allowing assay developers to improve overall assay performance, use smaller sample volumes and decrease overall time to results.

The Infinite M1000, Tecan’s flagship modular multimode microplate reader, is equipped with premium Quad4 Monochromators™ technology and also features adjustable bandwidth settings to ultra-fine tune the amount of excitation and emission light and optimise the sensitivity for fluorescence-based measurements. The Infinite 200 PRO series provides excellent wavelength accuracy, specificity and reproducibility of monochromator-based technology. It offers the possibility to combine reagent dispensing with fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance in an affordable reader platform for the complete range of life science applications.

Sword’s technology utilises a unique substrate that generates a light scattering, energy exchanged (Raman) signal. The principle of the Raman ELISA substrate is similar to that of colorimetric assays where a nearly colorless compound is oxidised by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in an ELISA to form a colored reagent that is quantified by a plate reader. Sword’s substrate is a molecule with a very low Raman signal but, after oxidation by HRP and development with the Sword reagents, it has a strong and quantitative Raman signal that can be measured using the fluorescence channel of Tecan plate readers.