Dicronis hopes its microneedle-based device will help clinicians catch impairments in cancer patients’ lymphatic network that cause chronic swelling in the legs, arm of chest.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) has offered its first in-depth look at its Switzerland-based oncological diagnostics technology spinout Dicronis, which is advancing a tool to detect symptoms of severe swelling in cancer patients.
Founded in April 2018, Dicronis has designed a medical device to identify potential cases of lymphoedema, where the body’s lymphatic system – which transports proteins, nutrients and waste products – is no longer able to discharge its contents as such that persistent edemas form in the legs, arms or chest.
Dicronis’s device, the Lymphit, consists of several microneedles mounted on a small bandage-shaped plate which is affixed to the patient’s wrist.
The microneedles release a fluorescent dye upon application, marking out lymphatic faults in conjunction with a fluorescence detection bracelet worn by the patient following treatment.
Lymphoedema affects approximately 10% of all cancer patients and can cause reoccurring skin infections and disfiguring physical marks if left unfettered. Dicronis aims to bring Lymphit to market within the next three years before progressing to develop other products.
The spinout was co-founded by ETH Zurich pharmaceutical sciences graduates Patrizia Marschalkova and Jovan Jancev together with Fabrizio Esposito, technical director for science and technology at market intelligence provider Gfk.
