TECTA™ - Rapid Microbial Detection

TECTA™, Endetec's rapid microbial detection technology was originally founded in 2003 under the name Pathogen Detection Systems with the goal to develop a novel method of automating microbiological testing.

 

These initial efforts were based on research and development conducted at Queen's University in conjunction with a number of industrial partners in the wake of the Walkerton water tragedy that occurred in May, 2000 in which 7 people died, and thousands fell ill due to E.coli contamination of the water supply.

Now part of Endetec, the global sensor platform of Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies, it is headquartered in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Endetec's expertise in water monitoring technologies, spectrophotometry and synthetic chemistry is now supported by the resources and technologies of the world's leading water treatment company.

The TECTA™ approach adapts traditional enzyme-chemistry methods proven and accepted by regulatory authorities worldwide with an entirely automated measurement system which eliminates visual interpretation. This patented technology is incorporated in the company's monitoring system, which provides on-site microbiological testing capability with rapid time-to-results and unprecedented ease-of-use.

All current approved methods are manual, requiring specially trained staff and fixed 18-24 hours incubation delays. Most operators use 3rd-party labs that would use one of the current manual methods. The advantage of the TECTA™ system is that operators get all the benefits of automation (speed, reliability and productivity) at a per test cost comparable or lower than the cost of using a 3rd-party lab.

The TECTA™ system uses a modified spectrophotometry method enabled by a patented partitioning technology. Other attempts to use spectrophotometry to automate the standard methods have used direct measurements of the sample matrix. With the variable optical qualities of the sample matrix these attempts have suffered reliability challenges. TECTA™'s partitioning technology overcomes these reliability challenges and thus enables a fully automated test capability.

TECTA™ technology is approved as an alternative testing method by the Ontario Minister of Environment and has received AOAC-RI certification status. Several other regulatory acceptance processes are under way.

Current TECTA solutions include:

  • B16®, new bench-top instruments
  • CCA® "all-in-one" test cartridge for rapid detection of E.coli and Total Coliforms
  • Future tests will include Enterococcus, TVO, HPC

TECTA™ Advantage:

  • Fastest test on the market (2 to 18 hours compared with 26 to 72 hours for conventional methods)