Lancaster-based startup CCI Photonics has secured vital new funding to develop its groundbreaking expertise for fast an infection detection and antibiotic screening.
Launched by Lancaster College researchers, the spinout goals to ship take a look at ends in as little as quarter-hour—dramatically sooner than conventional strategies, which may take as much as 72 hours.
The funding pot contains £200,000 from the Northern Powerhouse Funding Fund II (NPIF II) PraeSeed programme, £150,000 from the An infection Innovation Consortium (iiCON), and £100,000 from Lyva Labs through Liverpool Metropolis Area Mixed Authority. CCI Photonics has additionally obtained backing from ICURe Innovate UK and holds extra assist by way of a UKRI Novel Applied sciences Grant.
On the coronary heart of this innovation is InfectiScan, a robust in vitro diagnostic gadget that makes use of infrared spectrometry and superior AI fashions to pinpoint bacterial infections in bodily fluids—and decide the simplest antibiotics to prescribe. Based on analysis undertaken in partnership with the College Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Basis Belief (UHMBT), the expertise is designed to deal with antibiotic resistance by decreasing the guesswork in prescribing antibiotics.
Present diagnostic instruments usually depart clinicians prescribing therapies on a “best guess” foundation, contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance and rising the chance of ineffective care or an infection recurrence. With CCI Photonics’ InfectiScan gadget, healthcare professionals will be capable of quickly establish pathogens and ensure antibiotic suitability, considerably bettering affected person outcomes.
Dr Meza Ramirez, Chief Government of CCI Photonics, emphasised: “This funding allows us to take critical steps in validating and refining our technology. With the support of our partners, we are working to bring a practical solution to healthcare challenges.”
Professor Craig Williams, Guide Microbiologist at UHMBT, echoed this sentiment: “I hope this ongoing research will provide much more rapid diagnosis, leading to better infection treatment outcomes at a time when bacteria are becoming more resistant to commonly used antibiotics.”
Professor Janet Hemingway, founding director of iiCON, additionally underlined the significance of disruptive applied sciences within the battle in opposition to infectious illnesses, noting the pressing international well being problem and the necessity for swift innovation.
By combining world-class analysis, robust funding, and sensible medical collaboration, CCI Photonics is poised to rework infectious illness diagnostics—probably slashing take a look at turnaround occasions from days to minutes and serving to to stave off the looming risk of antibiotic resistance.
