This Chennai startup is building a device to help doctors choose the right antibiotic sooner

The Bactolizer is Attox Research Laboratories’ testing device for bacterial infections. It is designed to help doctors choose which antibiotic will work and what dose to use. That matters because standard sensitivity testing can take 24 to 48 hours, while doctors often need to begin treatment sooner.

For example, a patient’s sample is placed in a disposable electrochemical cartridge. The cartridge goes into the device, whose signal-processing unit records electrical responses. An algorithm compares signals from the beginning and end of the test. It then identifies an effective antibiotic from a list of 15 and indicates the dosage.

Attox says the Bactolizer produces results in about 30 minutes to two hours and has reached 94% accuracy. The company is conducting clinical trials involving about 10,000 patients and aims to improve accuracy beyond 97%. It still needs CDSCO approval before selling the device.

The clearest advantage is speed. Standard antibiotic-sensitivity testing takes 24 to 48 hours. Attox says the Bactolizer can produce an answer in about 30 minutes to two hours. That means doctors could receive guidance much earlier, although the article does not calculate a single speed multiplier.

Attox reports 94% accuracy for the Bactolizer and is working toward more than 97%. The article does not provide an accuracy figure for standard laboratory testing, so it cannot establish that the device is more accurate. It also does not give the cost of standard testing.

The Bactolizer costs about Rs 40,000, and each disposable cartridge costs Rs 500 to Rs 600. Those figures describe the proposed device and test charges, not confirmed savings. The device price may change as development continues, and it is not yet on the market.

When doctors prescribe an antibiotic that does not work, the patient’s infection may not improve as intended. Treatment can be delayed while doctors reassess the prescription or wait for test results. The article emphasizes that the first prescription often relies on an assumption because standard testing takes 24 to 48 hours.

Excessive treatment creates another problem. Antibiotics taken when they are not needed, or taken in excess, expose bacteria to drugs without delivering the right targeted treatment. This can encourage the survival and spread of bacteria that are harder for those drugs to control.

The wider consequence is antimicrobial resistance. The article says resistance makes antibiotics less effective against bacteria, threatening their usefulness beyond one patient’s first few treatment days. Bactolizer aims to support an earlier, better-matched antibiotic and dose, but it still requires clinical trials and CDSCO approval before sale.

The Bactolizer combines a reader-like signal-processing unit with a disposable electrochemical cartridge. A patient’s sample goes into the cartridge. The cartridge is then inserted into the device for testing. This setup is intended as a plug-and-play unit for hospitals.

During the test, the cartridge produces electrical responses. The device records those responses at the beginning and end of the process. A specialised algorithm compares the two sets of signals. From those changes, it determines which antibiotic is effective and what dosage is appropriate from a list of 15 antibiotics.

Attox says this approach can produce a result in about 30 minutes to two hours, compared with 24 to 48 hours for standard testing. The company reports 94% accuracy and says the device meets CDSCO standards. Clinical trials involving about 10,000 patients are underway as Attox works toward approval.

CDSCO approval is required before Attox can take the Bactolizer to market. The approval process is intended to assess whether the device is sufficiently reliable and suitable for clinical use. The article specifically states that Attox needs this approval before selling the product.

Clinical trials provide evidence from real patient samples and treatment-related testing. Attox is starting trials involving about 10,000 patients. The results are expected to support the company’s application for CDSCO approval and help demonstrate the device’s reported performance, including its claimed 94% accuracy.

The trials have another role. Attox holds a provisional patent, and the company expects the clinical work to help it secure the final patent. Until approval is obtained, the Bactolizer remains pre-revenue and unavailable commercially. Attox plans to raise Rs 5 crore to fund its go-to-market work while continuing development.

Doctors currently use standard laboratory sensitivity testing to check which antibiotic can kill bacteria in a patient’s sample. That method remains Attox’s closest competition and takes 24 to 48 hours. Before results arrive, doctors may prescribe based on an assumption about the likely effective drug and dose.

Attox’s Bactolizer uses a patient sample, an electrochemical cartridge, electrical signals, and an algorithm. It is designed to deliver an answer in about 30 minutes to two hours. The device tests a list of 15 antibiotics and reports the effective option and dosage. Attox says it has reached 94% accuracy.

The company also competes with Switzerland-based Roche Diagnostics and Indian company Ourlife Biolytic Solutions. The article does not provide their turnaround times, prices, or accuracy figures. Therefore, it supports a speed comparison with traditional testing, but not a complete performance or cost comparison with those alternatives.

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat infections caused by bacteria. The article discusses them in the context of choosing a drug that can kill the bacteria in a patient’s sample. Doctors may need to prescribe before testing confirms the best option, especially because standard sensitivity testing takes 24 to 48 hours.

Antimicrobial resistance develops when antibiotic exposure favors bacteria that can withstand treatment. Unnecessary use exposes bacteria to a drug when it is not needed. Excessive use creates additional exposure. Bacteria that survive can remain, multiply, and become harder for that antibiotic to control. This explanation uses established medical knowledge; the article states the consequence but does not detail the biological process.

The result is that antibiotics become less effective against bacteria. A wrong first prescription or excessive dose can therefore affect both the individual treatment and the wider usefulness of these medicines. Attox wants its device to help doctors choose the right antibiotic sooner and use the appropriate dose.