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Sporian Ships In-Line Biosensor

Service News Friday, July 22, 2011: Sporian Microsystems, Inc.

Sporian Microsystems, a developer of sensors and sensor systems, has shipped first article units for a new, in-line biological sensor system based on its patented technology. Such a system could work in concert with water purification and testing systems. Sporian has previously realized handheld and buoy-based systems utilizing these sensors. The system will be evaluated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and initially include sensing capabilities for E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis.

The new in-line system runs autonomously, with LEDs to indicate the pathogen concentration. The in-line system also includes a USB interface to allow for system configuration and, by attaching a PC or netbook, logging of sensor data for trend analysis. The biosensor is based on Sporian's patented BioOverseer® sensor architecture which provides specific and sensitive pathogen detection in a rugged, portable package. The sensor has a modular architecture, so that it can utilize other assays to detect additional pathogens.

There are numerous markets for this system. There are almost 55,000 community water systems in the U.S. In addition, nearly 15% of Americans rely on private, unregulated drinking water supplies. There are over 21,000 US food processing facilities, 150,000 retail food distributors, and 500,000 food service establishments who all rely on clean water for their operations. There are over 16,000 wastewater treatment facilities in the US. Sporian's sensor provides flexibility and the capability for expansion to detect a multitude of microorganism types in a variety of commercial, industrial and residential settings.