EliChip - ELISA-to-Field Diagnostic Platform
EliChip: ELISA-Grade Results, Anywhere
EliChip is a microfluidic immunodiagnostic platform developed by Trustech Diagnostics that delivers quantitative, ELISA-grade results outside the centralized laboratory. From a 20 µL sample, it produces digital quantitative output in minutes, without a laboratory and without specialized personnel, and it is designed to reduce cold-chain requirements; storage conditions are defined for each assay. Auralis Biotech acts as commercial partner for EliChip, supporting partner identification, strategic partners matchmaking, and market access through the EliChip Early Adopter Program.
Request feasibility discussionDownload the EliChip flyer
For research and development use. EliChip is not currently certified as an IVD device. Suitability and regulatory requirements are assessed for each assay and target market.
EliChip Features
Multi-sample
Throughput. Multiple samples processed in a single run.
TRL-7
Technology Readiness level.
Multi-Chemistry
Adaptable to multi-chemistry, such as Immunoassay and Griess reaction.
20 µL
Sample input. A typical plate ELISA protocol uses 100 to 200 µL.
pg/mL
Reported sensitivity range in tested assays. Performance depends on the assay and the sample matrix.
less than 1h
Time to result. Field-deployable, near the point of operational need.
Same Science. Smarter Format.
A typical plate ELISA delivers quantitative pg/mL-class results but usually needs a centralized laboratory, 100 to 200 µL of sample and, depending on the protocol, several hours up to a day of turnaround. Lateral flow is fast, but most tests are qualitative or semi-quantitative, and many quantitative formats use a reader. LAMP and PCR detect nucleic acids, not proteins or toxins. EliChip fills the gap: quantitative, portable, field-deployable, and compatible with proteins, toxins, and small molecules across complex matrices including blood, milk, serum, grain, and synovial fluid.
How it works
From sample to quantitative result
EliChip uses microfluidic reagent handling and real-time, absorbance-based optical calibration to turn a raw sample directly into a quantitative result, without a separate lab step.
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Load the sample
A 20 µL sample is loaded into the disposable microfluidic cartridge, pre-loaded with the assay-specific reagents.
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The reader runs the assay
The benchtop reader handles reagents and generates a real-time calibration curve for that specific run, without a centralized lab.
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Digital, quantitative result
A numeric, ELISA-grade result is produced in under an hour and can be logged to a single database across locations.
Applications
From your ELISA, after a feasibility check. Shown across four sectors.
EliChip has been used in feasibility and research work across agrifood, plant health, veterinary, and clinical and translational research.
In principle, any existing antibody-based ELISA assay can be converted to the EliChip cartridge format. The markers below are proof points already tested through feasibility work, not a limit on what's possible; feasibility for your own assay is confirmed during the Early Adopter Program.
Agrifood & food safety
What it detects
- Aflatoxin B1
- Aflatoxin M1
- Ochratoxin A
- Gluten
- Lysozyme
- + Your ELISA assay
Plant health
What it detects
- Xylella fastidiosa
- Flavescence dorée
- + Your ELISA assay
In collaboration with Agritest.
Veterinary
What it detects
- BVD
- Leishmania
- + Your ELISA assay
Clinical & translational research
What it detects
- IL-6
- TNF-α
- MMP-2
- MMP-9
- NGF
- Nitric oxide
- + Your ELISA assay
Nitric oxide via Griess reaction. Publication
Partner with Trustech & Auralis Biotech
Built by Trustech, brought to market with Auralis Biotech
Auralis Biotech is EliChip's strategic commercial partner, leading partner identification and market access across three tracks.
- Underserved gap between lateral flow and lab ELISA
- TRL-7, backed by peer-reviewed evidence
- IP protected: 3 patents, 2 granted in Italy, 1 pending in the EU
- Multi-sector traction: agrifood, plant health, veterinary, biomedical research
Early Adopter Program
Convert your ELISA assay
For assay owners: turn an existing ELISA-type test into a field-deployable EliChip cartridge, commercialized under your own brand, with scoped market exclusivity.
Strategic partnership
Co-develop or distribute
For IVD manufacturers, distributors, and other companies already active in immunodiagnostics, agritech, or animal health, looking to integrate or distribute EliChip.
Investors
Invest in the platform
A TRL-7, IP-protected point-of-care platform with peer-reviewed evidence and traction across four sectors. See what we are building and where the round stands.
How the Early Adopter Program converts your assay
Your existing assay, as the starting point
Limited, targeted adaptation to the cartridge format
Operational at or near the point of need
Evidence from published research
In a cartilage osteoarthritis joint-on-chip study, EliChip quantified NGF and IL-6 from the same 20 µL secretome sample. The limit of detection (LoD) was compared with a reference laboratory ELISA.
| Marker | EliChip LoD | Lab ELISA LoD |
|---|---|---|
| NGF | 11.20 pg/mL | 27.3 pg/mL |
| IL-6 | 11.80 pg/mL | 7.8 pg/mL |
What researchers and clinicians say
EliChip represents a significant step toward more efficient, accessible, and high-quality medicine, thanks to its ability to deliver fast, accurate results directly at the point of care. The precision and sensitivity of the platform are comparable to centralized laboratories.
EliChip is a very useful tool for many applications thanks to its precision and sensitivity, with results comparable to centralized laboratories, and its ability to reduce turnaround time while improving how care pathways are managed.
Tested in its pilot version through joint research with Trustech Diagnostics, EliChip can be validly applied to the at-line identification and quantification of food contaminants such as mycotoxins and allergens, with excellent accuracy at every point of production.
Research programs and intellectual property
EliChip has been developed and used within EU and Italian funded research programs.
- FLAMIN-GO (Horizon 2020)
- PREMUROSA (MSCA ITN)
- YOGA
- FDM (digital agrifood)
The platform is covered by 3 patents: 2 granted in Italy and 1 pending in the EU.
Frequently asked questions
What is EliChip?
EliChip is a portable immunoassay platform with disposable cartridges, developed by Trustech Diagnostics. It converts an existing ELISA-type assay into a field-deployable format and delivers a quantitative digital result from a 20 µL sample in under an hour.
What are the main advantages of EliChip over a laboratory ELISA?
EliChip uses the same antibody-based principle as a laboratory ELISA, but runs it outside the central laboratory. It needs 20 µL of sample instead of 100 to 200 µL, gives a result in under an hour instead of a turnaround of up to 24 hours, and does not need specialized personnel. The result is digital and quantitative, with a calibration curve generated in real time at every run.
How is EliChip different from a lateral flow test?
Lateral flow tests are fast, but most are qualitative or semi-quantitative, and many quantitative formats use a reader. EliChip gives a numeric result with ELISA-grade sensitivity, using a calibration curve generated in real time at every run.
Does EliChip give a yes or no answer, or a number?
A number. The reader reports a quantitative result from a calibration curve, in absolute units such as pg/mL, and does not use a fixed positive or negative cut-off. Thresholds can be defined by the user on the quantitative output, depending on the application and on regulatory requirements.
How sensitive is EliChip compared with a laboratory ELISA?
In a published joint-on-chip osteoarthritis study, EliChip was compared with a reference laboratory ELISA on the same markers. For NGF the EliChip limit of detection was 11.20 pg/mL against 27.3 pg/mL for the laboratory ELISA, about 2.5 times more sensitive. For IL-6 it was 11.80 pg/mL against 7.8 pg/mL. Sensitivity depends on the marker and on the assay, and is confirmed for each assay during the Early Adopter Program.
Where can EliChip be used?
At or near the point of need: in the field for plant health, at-line in food production, in veterinary practice and in research laboratories. This reduces dependence on centralized laboratories. Results from different locations can be collected and analyzed in a single database.
Why convert an existing ELISA instead of developing a new point-of-care test?
Because the starting point is an assay you already have and trust. The Early Adopter Program adapts it to the cartridge format with limited, targeted changes (optimization and migration), tests it and prepares it for field deployment. Your existing ELISA becomes a portable, quantitative test, brought to market under your own brand.
Can any commercial ELISA kit be converted to EliChip?
The microfluidic card is designed for competitive and sandwich assay formats, which covers most commercial ELISA kits. The conversion is not plug and play: it needs a structured adaptation process, which is the focus of the Early Adopter Program.
What is the EliChip Early Adopter Program?
It is the program, run by Trustech Diagnostics with Auralis Biotech as commercial partner, that converts a partner's existing ELISA into the EliChip format. The partner brings the assay to market under its own brand, with 12 months of assay-specific market exclusivity.
What does an assay owner gain from the Early Adopter Program?
A field-deployable version of your own assay, brought to market under your own brand, with assay-specific market exclusivity. The program runs in small, capacity-controlled cohorts, so that every partner gets hands-on support. Feasibility for your assay, sample type and target market is assessed at the start.
Is EliChip certified for clinical diagnostic use?
No. EliChip is at TRL-7 and has been tested in feasibility studies and research collaborations, including peer-reviewed publications. It is not currently a certified in vitro diagnostic (IVD) device. The regulatory pathway is assessed for each assay and target market during the Early Adopter Program.
Which sample types does EliChip support?
EliChip has been evaluated on blood, serum, milk, grain, synovial fluid and plant extracts. Feasibility for a specific matrix and marker is confirmed during the assessment step of the Early Adopter Program.
Can EliChip run chemistries other than immunoassays?
Yes. Detection is absorbance-based and the reader can read multiple wavelengths, so the platform is not limited to a single colorimetric readout. EliChip has been used for immunoassays and for the Griess reaction (nitric oxide). Each card is dedicated to one chemistry.
Is the EliChip cartridge reusable?
No. The reagent card is single-use and disposable, to protect the integrity of the result and to prevent cross-contamination. The reader is permanent and is used with all card types and assays.
Can EliChip measure several markers on one cartridge?
Not yet. The current cartridge and reader deliver one quantitative analyte per run. Multiplexing several markers from the same cartridge and sample is in development.
Is EliChip patented?
Yes. EliChip is covered by 3 patents: 2 granted in Italy and 1 pending in the EU.
Join the Early Adopter Program
The program is limited to 10 participants globally. Convert your existing ELISA into a field-deployable microfluidic format, commercialize under your own brand, and secure 12 months of assay-specific market exclusivity.