Picured above is Niklas Norgren, CEO of Uman diagnostics. Photo courtesy of Uman diagnostics.
The reason behind Uman Diagnostics great international media attention lately is in large part due to the inititated collaboration with an american digital diagnostics company – Quanterix. By combining the SIMOA-technology of their american partner and the specific and exact biomarkers supplied by Uman Diagnostics, it will soon be possible to diagnose a concussion through a simple blood test.
This is a very attractive scenario for both health providers and sports organisations like the National Football League (NFL) – where traumatic brain injury is a serious hazard and affects players health in both short and long term.
Uman Diagnostics’ NF-L and the American NFL
The american interest in the potentially instant test for injury is very much due to the safety aspects that could be gained in american football. Ironically, the vital biomarker needed to acheive this, from a small Umeå startup bears the same acronym as the League – NF-L as in Neurofilament Light.
In a wider perspective, around ten million people worldwide suffer trauma to the brain – and the possibility to quickly diagnose and correctly treat those injuries, could save both health care resources and prevent long term brain injuries, such as those caused by second impact syndrome.
Business and staff numbers multiplying
The growing interest in Uman Diagnostics has so far resulted in the staff beeing doubled, and the company has just left the facilites rented from Umeå Biotech Incubator – and moved in to larger offices and lab space across the hall – still at Uminova Science Park.
Read more about Uman Diagnostics on their website: http://umandiagnostics.com/
Recent articles about Uman Diagnostics and their technology:
- In Västerbotten-kuriren (Swedish): http://affarsliv24.vk.se/1909734/stora-framsteg-for-umeaforetag-internationellt-intresse
- In Dagens Industri (Swedish): http://www.di.se/nyheter/deras-test-avslojar-hjarnskada/
- In Wall Street Journal (English, subscr.): http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-game-changer-for-diagnosing-concussions-in-the-nfl-1479394502
- In Nature Scientific Reports (English, open access): http://www.nature.com/articles/srep36791
