AVANTES, leading in the field of fibre optic spectroscopy, has developed a particular spectrometer manufacturer with UV fibre, on request of DiagnOptics for their unique medical diagnostics device AGE Reader™. This new invention enables non-invasive cardiovascular examination and risk assessment. Till recent, this was only possible by invasive and expensive laboratory techniques that were difficult to use in a regular clinical setting.
The AGE Reader™ is used for detecting persons with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes and its complications. Cardiovascular diseases are among the most important causes of death in industrial countries. The system has been already incorporated in routine clinical care in several hospitals in The Netherlands.
The invention is based on detecting the fluorescence of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) by means of Avantes’s high-tech UV fibre connected to a tabletop AGE Reader on which simply the forearm is placed. The result is displayed as a number with clearly established reference and risk values in less than 30 seconds. The device can be operated by unskilled personnel without training.
The AGE-Reader contains a 300–420 nm (peak ~370 nm) light source transmitted through a 4 cm2 window on the upper side of the box, directly illuminating the skin. Only light reflected and emitted from the skin is measured with an integrated Avantes 2048 spectrometer in a 300–600 nm range, using 200 µm Avantes UV-fibre. It makes use of the characteristic fluorescent properties of AGEs when illuminated with UV light, referred to as skin autofluorescence.