X-Bar Diagnostic Systems. Inc.

X-Bar Diagnostic Systems, Inc., Kennett Square, PA., proposes developing a portable battery powered solar cell rechargeable fully automated PCR testing system for limited resource environments and military field operations.  

X-bar Diagnostic Systems, Inc., originated from a previous company named JHL Associates, Inc., it was a full-service engineering design and development firm, with a focus in life sciences and health care.  JHL Associates, Inc., is responsible for developing many modules, devices and components for many major IVD (in vitro diagnostic) manufacturers domiciled in the USA, Europe, and Middle East.

The X-bar diagnostic Device is the only diagnostic instrument that is a POC,(Point-of-Care) mobile, PCR device that can deliver more than 100 tests in 20 minutes, >300 tests per/hr., or >2400 tests in an 8 hour period.  This device is Battery powered, and solar cell rechargeable, all contained in a briefcase size, (18”W X 6.5”H X 13”D enclosure). This biological agent detection system is the only one developed or under development in the world.  It detects viruses, bacteria, biological terrorism agents, and fungi, in humans, food, water, insects and animals. 

The senior management staff will bring more than a century of successful life science instrument development experience to the project.  The team claims over 30 patents and intellectual property between them.  The president and General Manager, Jame Lipscomb, BSME, MBA has researched, designed, developed, engineered, patented, managed, directed, manufactured, and launched over fifteen clinical products Some were small in size like the micro- Stix incubator marketed by Ames division of Miles Laboratories.  Others were very large and complex like the 450 lb. Tigris fully automated instrument marketed by Gen-probe now owned by Hologic.  JHL Associates owns prime patents on that product.   Still even larger than that was the transfusion medicine device weighing 700 lb. marketed by Abbott Laboratories.   

Senior Scientific officer, Hallie Krider, PhD was a tenured professor, (now retired) of Molecular Biology and genetics at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut.  Dr Krider has over 50 publications in life sciences. He has participated on many government technology assessment panels at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), National Science Foundation, (NSF), and the NRCC Biomedical Innovation Panel.  He has consulted with numerous large and small companies, and has won several awards for his insightful innovations.

The Vice President of Manufacturing is Richard Raffauf Jr. Richard is currently President of Industrial Consortium, Inc, Lancaster, PA., and has provided leadership, and innovation in delivering quality, reducing cost, providing specialized techniques in manufacturing medical devices for over 20 years. Client companies include E.I DuPont, Dade Behring, Bayer Diagnostics, Siemens, Gen-Probe, and the US Government.

The main Objective for developing this product is to provide a testing platform for field deployment for low income and low-resource settings. In particular 5% of the worlds population is confronted with diseases that take considerable time to diagnose because testing centers are located great distances away from their village or place of domicile.  In many cases by the time their test results are received back by the attending physician, the patient has expired.  Portable testing systems are desperately needed in these kinds of settings and analyzed on one workstation, which controls and eliminates errors from contamination, and reduces the cost of PCR testing >10 fold.