October 19, 2006

BATTELLE SECURES PATENT FOR TECHNOLOGY USEFUL FOR EARLY CANCER DETECTION

Columbus, Ohio--A patent was issued on July 11, 2006 to Battelle for the Buffy Coat Tube and Float System and Method, invented by Thomas Haubert of Battelle Medical Device Solutions and Stephen Wardlaw of Yale University, as an integral part of their low-cost rare cell detection technology.

Haubert and Wardlaw developed the Buffy Coat Tube and Float to provide visual access to rare cells (such as circulating cancer cells) by expanding the buffy coat--a series of thin, light-colored layers of white blood cells that form between red cells and plasma when unclotted blood is centrifuged for testing.

A simple blood draw is all that is required of the patient. Detecting rare cells in whole blood could be important to the diagnosis and treatment of several types of cancer including lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal. In addition, it might help in determining the viral load of HIV and Hepatitis C. According to Dr. Wardlaw, "The advancement of the science of medicine is in large part based upon the development of new means of measurement. This invention greatly simplifies the detection and enumeration of actual cancer cells circulating in the blood. Recent studies have shown this may be an important advance in detecting and staging cancer, as well as showing response to chemotherapy." The rare cell detection technology, including an early prototype device and all associated patents, is available for license. Battelle Medical Device Solutions delivers a comprehensive set of development services to medical device, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Providing services in applied research, device development, clinical research, and sustaining engineering, Medical Device Solutions is experienced with a wide range of Class II and Class III medical devices from diagnostic instruments to drug delivery systems.

Blood sample in the Buffy Coat Tube after centrifuging

Battelle is a global leader in science and technology. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, it develops and commercializes technology and manages laboratories for customers. Battelle, with the national labs it manages or co-manages, oversees 20,000 staff members and conducts $3.4 billion in annual research and development. Battelle innovations have included the development of the office copier machine (Xerox); pioneering work on compact disc technology; fiber optics for telecommunications; new medical products to fight diabetes, cancer and heart disease; breakthroughs in environmental waste treatment; homeland security technologies; and advancements in transportation safety and security.

For more information, contact Todd Tomba at TombaT@battelle.org or (614) 424-6309.