Perfect Score for MIT 1000 on Staphylococcus Single Blind Identification Study
SAN CLEMENTE, CA--(Marketwired - May 21, 2015) - Micro Imaging Technology, Inc. (OTCQB: MMTC) announced the result of a blind study conducted with its MIT 1000 System as part of a collaboration with Northern Michigan University (NMU) to identify and differentiate Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The study was conducted by the NMU lab of Josh Sharp, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, in cooperation with the Microbiology lab at UP Health Systems in Marquette, Michigan to investigate whether the MIT 1000 System was able to detect S. aureus strains isolated from humans. In the single blind study, UP Health Systems provided 90 different previously tested, but unidentified cultures of bacteria to the Sharp lab to determine whether clinical isolates of S. aureus could be identified with the MIT 1000. Clinical isolates might have more variability in characteristics such as size, shape and pigment production compared to laboratory strains and, therefore, more challenging to identify. Out of those 90 samples, the MIT 1000 identified 30 as Staphylococcus species -- a 100% match to the hospital's independent test findings. Not only did the MIT 1000 accurately identify the 30 cultures of various Staphylococcus species, but the remaining 60 non-Staphylococcus cultures tested in the study were correctly ruled out as Staph species (no false positives).
As the Company previously announced, the goal of the collaboration with NMU is to rapidly and cost-effectively identify Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using the MIT 1000 System, a bacterial cell based identification system that can identify pathogenic bacteria in three minutes (average) at significant cost savings per test. "The data from the single blind study with UP Health Systems is encouraging and supports the concept that the MIT 1000 Staphylococcus species Identifier can differentiate Staphylococcus species based on light scattering patterns," noted Dr. Sharp. "Additionally, the bacteria strains in this study were human isolates, which may have varying characteristics, yet the MIT Identifier was robust enough to correctly recognize them as Staphylococcus."
Dr. David Haavig, MIT Chief Scientist, said, "We are extremely pleased with the results of this study and thank Dr. Sharp and his laboratory staff for their time and efforts in developing and conducting the study. We are also grateful to UP Health Systems for their valuable cooperation in providing the test cultures."
About: Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, Michigan, is a dynamic four-year, public, coeducational university that has grown its reputation based on its award-winning leadership programs, cutting-edge technology initiatives and nationally recognized academic programs. The university's fastest growing academic areas are clinical science, biology, and the geographical and environmental sciences. Northern Michigan has a population of about 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers 180 degree programs, including 18 graduate programs.
About: UP Health Systems - Marquette
UP Health Systems - Marquette is a federally-designated Regional Referral Center for Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP). The hospital provides the region's premier services in imaging, surgery and laboratory with primary and specialty care clinics spread throughout the region. A teaching hospital, UP Health Systems - Marquette has numerous affiliations with universities and community colleges throughout the state. It has a medical staff of more than 200 doctors caring for approximately 9,000 inpatients and more than 350,000 outpatients per year.
About: Micro Imaging Technology, Inc.
Micro Imaging Technology, Inc. is a California-based public company that is also registered to do business under the name Micro Identification Technologies. MIT has developed and patented the MIT 1000, a stand-alone, rapid, optically-based, software driven system that can identify pathogenic bacteria and complete an identification test, after culturing, in three (3) minutes (average) at the lowest cost per test when compared to any other conventional method. It does not rely on chemical or biological agents, conventional processing, fluorescent tags, gas chromatography or DNA analysis. The process requires only clean filtered water and a sample of the unknown bacteria. Revenues for all rapid testing methods exceed $5 billion annually -- with food safety accounting for over $3.5 billion, which is expected to surpass $4.7 billion by this year according to BCC Research. In addition, the recently passed "New" U.S. Food Safety Bill is expected to further accelerate the current annual growth rate of 6.6 percent.
In June 2009, the AOAC Research Institute (AOAC RI) awarded the Company Performance Tested Methods SM (PTM) certification for the rapid identification of Listeria. The AOAC RI provides an independent third party evaluation and expert reviews of methods and will award PTM certification to methods that demonstrate performance levels equivalent or better than other certified bacteria identifying methods. The MIT System underwent hundreds of individual tests, including ruggedness and accuracy, to earn AOAC RI's certification for the identification of Listeria.