SMi Systems has secured a patent from the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for the single-molecule imaging technologies that underpin its super-resolution multi-omic platform. The patented technology consists of highly specialised optics that allow SMi to view single molecules at unprecedented resolution. When combined with the company’s uniquely designed consumables and deep learning techniques, the technology offers a user-friendly platform for rapid single-molecule detection. Such capabilities will significantly accelerate disease diagnosis and the discovery of new therapeutics.

The UK IPO is the first to grant a patent that will protect SMi's innovation, with SMi expecting a favorable outcome in other patent jurisdictions where the patent is being examined, including Europe, the US, and multiple territories in Asia. SMi has recently filed further patents relating to different elements of its complete multi-omic platform, to ensure that intellectual property relating to all aspects of its groundbreaking science is protected.

Single-molecule imaging provides irrefutable evidence that a molecule is present in a sample. In drug development, such details about individual molecules help researchers to efficiently select promising drug candidates and track their performance in later clinical trials. For diagnosis, it enables earlier disease detection and can improve the monitoring and treatment of disease progression — potentially transforming how we manage diseases such as cancer.

SMi's new multi-omic platform, powered by its now-patented optical technology (WO2020245579A1), provides unprecedented imaging, detection, quantification and analysis of single molecules in milliseconds per sample. Importantly, the instrument’s design has been strongly influenced by the needs of end users in both research laboratories and hospitals, resulting in an instrument that is easy to operate regardless of the user’s level of experience.

“Our patented technology enables non-specialists to analyze therapeutic candidates and patient samples in a fraction of the time it would normally take. This will help pharmaceutical companies to bring life-saving drugs to market much faster and at a reduced cost. For healthcare professionals, it will open new opportunities for routine screening and provide the information that is needed by clinicians to make informed decisions more quickly,” says Dr Andrew Thompson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at SMi. “Our scientists and engineers are making significant advancements using SMi’s unique approach and the revolutionary nature of this technology will open up numerous opportunities for expansion of our IP portfolio.”