The Spanish discovery has a diagnostic resolution that is one hundred times greater than usual cytogenetic techniques.
A new Spanish technology called Amniochip detects 150 different genetic syndromes through the use of microarray technology (genetic chips based on genome hybridization) for use with pregnant women.
Further, this technology has a diagnostic resolution that is one hundred times greater than customary cytogenetic techniques, and the results are obtained in 48 hours instead of the three weeks that it takes using a conventional system (karyotype).
The new device, developed by Genetadi Biotech, only analyzes genetic syndromes that are currently validated, including malformations and idiopathic mental retardation which are not detected with conventional techniques.
This chip was born as a solution to three problems that needed immediate improvement: the sensitivity of current techniques, the quantity of syndromes detected and the delay in obtaining results.
The application of this new technology is especially suitable for pregnant women over the age of 35, couples with family histories of genetic syndromes or previous spontaneous miscarriages, and pregnant women with a positive triple marker or suspicions of malformations from an ultrasound.
From a clinical point of view, the new diagnostic procedure is not different from conventional systems, beginning with a standard amniocentesis performed by a gynecological specialist.