Case Studies: Medical Polymer Solutions
Sysmex-Astrego: From Prototype to Prize-Winning Diagnostics Solution
Background and Origins
Astrego Diagnostics AB, now Sysmex Astrego, was founded in March 2017 by a team of eight individuals, four from academia and four from the medical diagnostic industry. The business idea centred around core technology developed at Uppsala University.
Elos were contacted a few months after the company was founded, though collaboration didn’t begin in earnest until 2020. The early years were spent developing rapid prototypes and refining their technology independently before seeking manufacturing support.
Team Formation and Early Strategy
The founders of Astrego came together through a network in Uppsala, and from the outset, the team knew the main aim of their project: to develop a near-patient testing platform in the Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) space.
The team decided to focus specifically on urinary tract infections (UTIs). This decision was driven by the prevalence of UTIs and their significant contribution to antibiotic use, making them an ideal starting point to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Collaboration with Elos Medtech
Although Astrego had initial discussions with Elos soon after founding, the real collaboration started late in 2019 when the project moved from a the feasibility phase into full-scale product development.
Elos Medtech was selected as a manufacturing partner from a shortlist of six European companies. Key deciding factors included Elos’s ability to support both small-volume prototyping and high-volume production, available production capacity, and willingness to grow alongside the startup.
Initially, Elos provided a few key parts of the diagnostic cartridge, such as the reagent reservoir, parts of the nanofluidic chip, and the top lid. Over time, Elos began supplying more components, including valves and other detailed polymer parts, and took on some assembly steps. The collaboration gradually deepened as Astrego scaled operations.
Growth, Facilities, and Production Scaling
Astrego expanded rapidly, going from producing a handful of prototypes daily to thousands of units per month. They developed and scaled their operations in parallel, to accommodate growing R&D, production, and lab needs.
The production journey included building ISO 13485 compliant processes, obtaining certifications, and eventually launching the PA-100 diagnostic system system in 2023.
In May 2022 Astrego Diagnostics was acquired by the Sysmex Corporation (Kobe, Japan) a global medical diagnostic player and changed name to Sysmex Astrego.
Recognition and Continuity
In 2024, the company received the prestigious Longitude Prize, validating their innovation and boosting visibility. Their PA-100 diagnostic system is now showcased at the Science Museum in London alongside Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin.