Optiqua MiniLab
MiniLab is a system for rapid detection of specific contaminants in water bringing advanced detection capability from the lab to the field.
Optiqua MiniLab is a user friendly system for cost-effective analysis of contaminants in various matrices for both lab and field applications. With the MiniLab system it is possible to identify and quantify target analytes within approximately 15 minutes. Whether it is the detection of pesticides in drinking water, algal toxins in bathing water, mycotoxins in agricultural crops or antibiotics residues in milk, MiniLab quickly provides you with the necessary accurate and detailed information on presence and concentration of the contaminants of concern. Because MiniLab is compact and does not need special infrastructure, it can be used in the laboratory but also in the field. Sample preparation is limited and operation of the instrument straightforward, which means it can be operated by low-skilled personnel.
Because MiniLab can be used outside a laboratory environment, it is not only an ideal tool for analytical applications but can also be used for process optimisation and process control purposes.
Optiqua MiniLab is an optical sensor system. The system consists of a base station with replaceable measurement cartridges. The cartridges contain an optical chip with is functionalised with an analyte specific coating. Each cartridge can be used for multiple measurements and by changing cartridges the system can be (re)configured to measure a different range of analytes.
Optiqua MiniLab is delivered as a complete package including a fluidics system, electronics, an optical detection system and software. The cartridge housing the sensor chip, and which includes a microfluidic flow cell and the necessary electronic and optical connectors to operate the sensor chip, is docked into the MiniLab with a mechanism that allows quick and easy loading and unloading.
MiniLab is a platform for optical immunosensing. An immunosensor uses a biological recognition element, the receptor, to obtain selectivity for a specific target and a transducer to convert the recognition event into a measurable signal. In the case of MiniLab, the transducer is optical sensor chip which measures the refractive index near the chip surface. The binding of the receptor molecules to the target substance will result in a change of the refractive index at the surface of the chip, with the change proportional to the concentration of the analyte in the sample.
Sample analysis with MiniLab is simple and fast. Depending on the receptor molecules used, the sampling and analysis steps include: collect a sample, filtration, measurement (direct assay) or sampling, mix with receptor molecules, incubation, measurement (indirect assay).
Examples of tests include specific pesticides, pharmaceuticals, biotoxins, other specific chemical compounds or broader, chemically related, groups of substances. The receptors used with MiniLab include antibodies and aptamers.
The MiniLab system hasbeen extensively validated. In the development phase, supported by the Public Utility Board of Singapore (PUB), tests were developed to demonstrate the capabilities of the system.
These tests included a pesticide (atrazine), pharmaceutical (ibuprofen) and an endocrine disruptor (bisphenol A), and they were developed on the basis of antibody based assays. The performance of these tests has been validated against the golden standard in biosensing, the Biacore system, and performance has been shown to be directly comparable.
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Number of Employees
11-25