Spin-outs: L3 Technology (L3T)

Established in 2003, L3 Technology (link opens in a new window) is a spin-out from Daresbury Laboratory set up to commercialise a brand new method of Cholesterol monitoring using a highly accurate fluorescent assay.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), of which a major contributing factor is high cholesterol, is set to become the biggest killer disease worldwide by 2010. Not all cholesterol is bad for you, in fact, cholesterol is made up of several sub-fractions, some of which are very good for you and only some of which are very bad for you. An over-the-counter cholesterol test does not distinguish between the sub-fractions, it gives you a number which is pretty meaningless. A laboratory test does break cholesterol down to good and bad, but it takes a minimum of three days to get that data and requires a healthcare professional to take a blood sample.

What if you could get all of this information, with accuracy better than the best laboratories from a pin-prick of blood in 60 seconds?
L3T have patented a novel way of measuring all of the cholesterol sub-fractions with unprecedented accuracy. We are developing a cartridge and a small desktop analyser, the MiniLab, which will allow almost instant, laboratory standard measurements. The instrument will be capable of measuring other constituents of blood, depending on which cartridge is used. In fact, if we can tag a compound with a fluorescent marker, we can measure it. The ultimate goal is a range of assays instantly available at the Doctor's desk.

Instant results means rapid diagnosis and monitoring of potential CAD victims. It also means that only one visit to the doctor is required and effectiveness of treatment can be checked rapidly and conveniently.

L3T has successfully been funded by a consortium of Venture Capital Investors: The Rainbow Seed Fund, Enterprise Ventures Rising Stars and the North West Equity Fund. The company was awarded the largest Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Research and Development Grant ever in the North West.

The first trials to demonstrate the clinical utility of the technology have been successfully carried out, proving that L3T is capable of producing data with a greater accuracy than the existing gold standards. Work is progressing well in transferring this technology into a point of care consumable and reader with initial prototypes being trialled from March 2007.

For more information contact:

Paul Vernon
Tel: + 44 (0)1925 603822