The European Patent Office has granted Bacteromic sp. z o.o. a patent entitled “Method and System for Prediction of Microorganism Growth Using Artificial Intelligence,” published under number EP 4377914 B1. The patent will take effect on May 21, 2025, upon its publication in the European Patent Bulletin.
The patent grants Bacteromic exclusive rights to commercially exploit the following innovations covered in the application: a method for predicting the growth or inhibition of microorganisms in phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing; a system for rapid antibiotic resistance testing; and the use of a deep neural network to predict microorganism growth or inhibition.
The patent will be valid in all member states of the European Patent Convention in which Bacteromic completes the validation process.
Bacteromic sp. z o.o. is currently seeking patent protection for the same innovation in the United States and China. Notably, the company already holds an exclusive patent in China for the commercial use of its BACTEROMIC system, covering the method of determining antimicrobial resistance in phenotypic testing.
“We are continuing the development of our flagship project – the BACTEROMIC system – which addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine: antibiotic resistance. The European patent we have secured is a key pillar of our intellectual property protection strategy for rapid detection of bacterial growth, a key competitive advantage of our system. We are progressing toward IVDR certification in accordance with European market requirements and have initiated the FDA certification process. A major milestone this year is our investment in a semi-automated production line for BACTEROMIC panels in Spain, in cooperation with a NYSE-listed global leader in industrial technology,” said Professor Piotr Garstecki, CEO of Scope Fluidics.
BACTEROMIC – Key Information
Scope Fluidics is the owner of Bacteromic sp. z o.o., a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) established to develop the BACTEROMIC system – a rapid, automated Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (AST) platform that provides precise data on which clinically relevant antibiotic will be most effective in treating specific bacterial infections.
The system offers exceptional versatility and a wide range of potential applications, along with strong cost-efficiency in both the analyzer and disposable cartridges. BACTEROMIC has the potential to become the gold standard among existing and emerging AST solutions, meeting the needs of all stakeholders in the antimicrobial resistance field: speed, comprehensiveness, high throughput, automation, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness.
The system consists of a laboratory analyzer (along with a smaller unit for automatic cartridge loading) and disposable panels capable of testing up to 60 antibiotics, each in multiple dilutions. This allows for the precise determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) required to inhibit bacterial growth. The system is also highly adaptable, supporting the use of existing cartridge architecture with a variety of sample types.
Results from the Early Access Program (EAP) confirm that the BACTEROMIC system is ready for broader market rollout and demonstrates significant competitive advantages.
