Why Spoligo TB™ & Smart TB™?

Tuberculosis, when left untreated, can turn fatal. Therefore, there is a need for accurate and early diagnosis of TB. There are many traditional methods available, such as the tuberculin skin test, culture, and sputum smear microscopy. All of them have their own limitations in terms of false-positive results, sensitivity, specificity, and turnaround time. Additionally, many PCR-based techniques that are available for diagnosis cannot be used in surveillance and epidemiological studies. The gold-standard IS6110-RFLP, with its high discriminative power and reproducibility, requires large amounts of DNA and, as a result, consumes more time.

Our Product Suite

We understand that TB diagnostics can be a tricky business. There are many tests available, each with its own set of limitations. We understand the need for an efficient and effective diagnostic test that can give accurate results quickly, at a reasonable cost. We offer PCR and RT PCR based solutions, with proven sensitivity and specificity. Our products include.

Spoligo TB™ – a simple solution

Spoligo TB™ is an effective PCR-based method to simultaneously detect and categorize Mycobacterium tuberculosis complexes. Spoligo TB™ utilizes the technology of DNA polymorphism which is present at a particular chromosomal locus, the Direct Repeat (DR) region, which is unique to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex bacteria.

The scope of Spoligo TB™

Clinical samples :

• Urban and rural labs for TB surveillance.
• Large scale epidemiological control – in prison outbreaks, hospitals, and other closed communities.
• Information obtained from Spoligo TB™ is useful in therapeutic management of tuberculosis.
• Spoligo TB™ can be used to screen TB infections in HIV patients.

Benefits of Spoligo TB™

• Spoligo TB™ in clinical specimens showed a sensitivity and specificity of 96% and 98%, respectively.
• High-throughput - 43 Samples / Run. In clinical, surveillance and epidemiological settings, this will save time.
• No expensive equipment – all it takes is an incubator, PCR machine and mini blotter. This makes it attractive for small labs.
• Simple protocol – fewer steps.
• Cost-effective – per sample cost in a batch is comparatively less. Additionally, the membrane can be used 4-5 times after stripping.
• Quick results – turnaround time is only 6 hours. Alternative for typing Southern blotting when rapid results are required.
• Level of differentiation is higher for strains with less than 5 copies compared to IS6110 fingerprinting.
• Preferred method to type M. bovis strains, which usually contains only one or two copies.

Smart TB™

SMART Tuberculosis is a Real Time PCR method for detection of the mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex. SMART Tuberculosis and its components are suitable for clinical and diagnostic labs. A complete, ready-to-use master mix is supplied with the kit. Users just have to add the extracted DNA sample to the master mix and run the test. When run according to the instructions, members of the Tuberculosis Complex (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. canetti, M. microti, M. pinnipedii, and M. africanum) are detected through a conserved region in the DNA gene coding for 16s RNA. It is specific for members of the Tuberculosis Complex and does not detect non-tuberculosis Mycobacterium.

Features of Smart TB™

• Reduces nonspecific amplification by upto 2.5 million times.
• More sensitive than smear microscopy and culture.
• Ready to use master mix, just add extracted DNA and run the test.
• Internal control not only detects human error, but also inadequate samples.
• Runs on most multi-channel real time thermocyclers.
• Detects Tuberculosis Complex bacilli in a variety of samples including sputum, cerebrospinal fluid, pleural fluid, abdominal fluid and most other infected specimens.

Expertise in TB diagnostic kits