Brief
Cambridge start-up Diagnostics for the Real World were developing a STI diagnostic for use in the developing world. They asked Maddison to develop a urine sample collector to exacting requirements.
Product Development
Maddison were part of an international team of chemists, engineers and materials scientists, led by Dr Helen Lee from the University of Cambridge. The engineering challenge was to capture only the first 5ml of the male urine stream for the diagnosis of chlamydia. Maddison developed a solution, using carefully placed baffles, channels and air locks to capture only the first 5ml in a removable sample tube, whilst allowing the rest of the urine stream to bypass.
Usability was key to make the device intuitive to hold and use. It also had to be very low cost and designed in such a way that no element could be re-used, (a contamination risk).
Diagnostics for the Real World: FirstBurst(R)
The resultant product has been very successful and was the winner of the Medical Futures Best Diagnostic Innovation Award.
