SoundCell begins first trials of revolutionary rapid antibiotic test

SoundCell B.V. has officially launched its first trials in hospitals at Reinier Haga Medical Diagnostic Center (RHMDC, Delft) and Erasmus Medical Centre (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam). This marks a major milestone in the validation of its groundbreaking nanotechnology-based diagnostic device, which has the potential to revolutionize antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). ⚡🦠

Faster and More Accurate Diagnosis to Combat AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health crisis, causing an estimated 4.8 million deaths annually. Delays in identifying the correct antibiotic treatment significantly impact patient outcomes, especially for severe bloodstream infections such as sepsis. Current diagnostic methods can take anywhere from 24 hours to several days, leaving clinicians without crucial data for timely treatment decisions.

SoundCell’s innovative approach uses nanomechanical vibrations of graphene membranes to detect bacterial viability within just one hour—a drastic improvement over traditional AST methods. The device measures real-time bacterial motion changes in response to antibiotics, allowing clinicians to determine drug efficacy without waiting for bacterial cultures to grow.

Clinical Validation at Reinier Haga Medical Diagnostic Center and Erasmus Medical Centre

The trial at RHMDC is focused on bloodstream infections, particularly those caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) two of the most common and clinically relevant bacteria. Pilot testing at Eramus Medical Centre targets yeast infections. The device’s performance will be compared against standard hospital diagnostic tools such as the BD Phoenix™ Automated Microbiology System and Vitek2 (BioMérieux®).

MelodyOne at the Reinier Haga Medical Diagnostic Centre

For the duration of the study:

✅ The SoundCell system will not be used for patient diagnosis but solely for scientific validation.

✅ Clinical microbiologists at hospital will operate the device, with ongoing technical support from SoundCell.

✅ On days without naturally occurring bloodstream infections, stored clinical isolates will be tested to ensure continuous data collection.

Key Objectives and Impact

Over the next 12 months, SoundCell and collaborating hospitals will:

1. Optimize sample preparation for positive blood cultures.
2. Validate SoundCell’s technology against a large collection of clinical isolates.
3. Benchmark the technology’s speed, sensitivity, and accuracy compared to existing diagnostic methods.

The ultimate goal is to accelerate availability of SoundCell’s fully automated AST device. By integrating direct feedback from clinical microbiologists, SoundCell aims to refine its product to seamlessly fit into current hospital workflows. A faster, more reliable diagnostic tool will improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital stays, and lower healthcare costs.

🚀 A New Era in Infectious Disease Diagnostics

This trial represents one of the first real-world clinical validations of graphene-based biosensors in hospital microbiology labs. When successful, the SoundCell technology could set a new standard for rapid AST and become a critical weapon in the fight against drug-resistant infections. This groundbreaking trial is made possible with the support of the European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition Grant, which is helping us bring our next-generation technology from the lab to real-world hospital settings.

“We are thrilled to come closer to a new paradigm in how bacterial infections are diagnosed and treated. This clinical study is a crucial step in demonstrating that our technology can be seamlessly integrated into hospital laboratories and provide results faster than ever before. We are grateful for the effort and feedback received from the collaborating hospitals.”

Irek Roslon, SoundCell CEO

🔗 For more information on SoundCell and its pioneering work in rapid diagnostics, visit www.soundcell.nl or contact info@soundcell.nl. 📩

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