About UsEGIR™ Platform
News & Events
10/27/08
DermTech and Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego, Initiate study to understand effects of vitamin D as a treatment for atopic dermatitis in children and young adults. Read More »
06/16/08
DermTech adds Australian thought leader Dr. Scott Menzies, Director of the Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Centre, to company's Melanoma Advisory Board. Read More »
06/03/08
DermTech names Herbert A. Fritsche, PH.D, Chief of Clinical Chemistry at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to company's Scientific Advisory Board. Read More »
The company’s core technologies are 1) the patented, non-invasive EGIR™ (Epidermal Genetic Information Retrieval) technique that uses adhesive to painlessly collect cells from the upper layer of the skin, and 2) multi-gene biomarkers that are generated using microarray analysis.
Specifically, the EGIR™ technology uses a custom adhesive to non-invasively and easily collect cells from the stratum corneum, i.e., the upper layer of the skin. The ribonucleic acid ("RNA") from these cells is then isolated, amplified, and analyzed using molecular biology tools. To date, the company has patented three biomarkers that can be used to identify and correlate changes in the gene expression profile of RNA obtained from the skin with the presence of certain diseases.
The EGIR Sampler™ is the handheld device used to easily collect the sample from the skin.
Device Prototype
Collection of specimen using Removable cartridge housing EGIR™ Sampler tape, once used, cartridge is removed and sent to lab.
The tape housed within the device will collect the specimen as the operator applies mild pressure and rolls it over the lesion. Once the specimen is collected, the operator will remove the tape cartridge from the device, place it into a capped test tube, and ship it to a central laboratory for testing.