Treatment directing point-of-care diagnostics

Lodestar DX assists doctors in ruling-out urinary tract infections in just 35 minutes. The Lodestar testing system is up to 97% accurate in detecting the ‘Big Six’ pathogens that cause urinary tract infections (UTI)  when they are present at clinically relevant levels.

Fast and accurate UTI diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and for preventing complications. The Sepsis Trust estimates that 15-30% of all sepsis cases start with a UTI.  Waiting for culture results can lead to delays in determining the best course of action and prescribing inappropriate or  unnecessary antibiotics.

Llusern’s Lodestar DX provides a new approach. With rapid results at the point of care, healthcare professionals can confidently make informed treatment decisions with the patient present. Fast and accurate results allow targeted therapy, reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and improve patient outcomes.

Llusern’s Lodestar UTI test eliminates the need for expensive laboratory equipment, complex DNA/RNA extraction processes and highly trained personnel. And because the test can be done in point-of-care settings there is no need for sample storage, transportation to the lab, incubation of the sample or communication of the results.

The Lodestar DX analyser and testing system is UK CA marked and registered with the European Patent Office (European Patent Application no: 22732302.9) and the US Patent and Trademark Office (no. 18/558,490).

It’s time for a new way to test for Urinary Tract Infections

The gold standard for UTI diagnosis is still considered to be laboratory culture. This is despite lab culture tests taking at least 24 hours to provide a result because of the need to transport the sample to a lab and the time taken to incubate the sample.

The other most common approach to UTI testing is the use of dipsticks. These are cheap to buy and simple to use but have a maxmimum sensitivity of around 74%. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) dipstick tests “may not accurately diagnose UTIs, are not recommended for all populations and cannot identify the type of bacteria causing the infection.”

A 2022 study of UTI tests carried out by Public Health Wales study found that only 33% of urine samples that were cultured returned a positive result. Another 32% were negative. It is likely that these patients were prescribed an antibiotic by their GP based on vague symptoms when, in fact, they had no infection.

By providing accurate identification of bacteria in 35 minutes, Lodestar UTI has the ability to tackle a significant everyday health problem faced by millions of people of all ages around the globe.