This is the Technical Web Site of ELISHA Systems Ltd.

ELISHA was the acronym of the EU project funded under the Nanotechnology Theme of Framework 6.  The project was completed on 30th June 2007 and the technology is being commercialised by ELISHA Systems Ltd., a new SME based in the UK.

"1st April 2013:  ELISHA Systems Ltd is leading a new TSB project funded in the Biomedical Catalyst initiative to detect and quantify MRSA in the field"

More information in 'Latest News' below.

Main Contacts for ELISHA Systems Ltd:

Technical Enquiries

Dr Tim Gibson           Telephone 01924 829560 

                                  e-mail  t.d.gibson@leeds.ac.uk

Business Enquiries

Dr Graham Johnson   Telephone 01298 70891

                                  e-mail  graham.johnson@uniscan.com

Registered Address

Sigma House, Burlow Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 9JB, UK

Company number  6142403

ELISHA Systems Ltd is developing Biochips and Point-of-Care Instrumentation based on the ELISHA immunosensor technology.

Since 2008, ELISHA Systems Ltd has been developing the ELISHA technology to be commercially viable.    The basic technology comprises disposable single measurement biochips and an electrochemical reader that is being designed to be a Point-of-Care device. 

Biochips can be configured in different ways:

1)      Single analyte configuration – using 2 working electrodes to generate the specific signal and to correct for non-specific binding

2)      Multiple analyte configuration – using multiple working electrodes to detect a number of target analytes from a single sample.

The analytical sequence to measure target analytes is essentially the same for each type of biochip.

       Add sample to biochip – incubate for several minutes – read concentration.

The incubation time depends on the target and concentration range of the target analyte, but it is of the order of 5 to 20 minutes for most target analytes measured to date.

The development has demonstrated the feasibility of the antibody based biochips to detect many more analytes in a wide range of sample matrices.   Some examples are given below.

ANALYTE                           MATRIX                                  SENSITIVITY

Meningococcus                   Whole human blood                 10 cells in 100µl blood

Myoglobin                          Human serum                         10 picogrammes per ml

Fluoroquinoline antibiotics    Bovine milk                            1 nanogramme per ml  

MRSA                                PBS / non-ionic detergent        10 cells per ml

To date most protein and carbohydrate biomarkers are quantifiable down to picogramme per ml levels in 20 minutes. Most bacterial samples seem to have a detection limit of 10 cells per ml or 10 cells per sample (e.g. for the miningococcus  example, 100µl of whole blood containing 100cells per ml gave a consistently measurable response).   Recently viruses have been detected and quantified directly using a virus antibody.  In addition target analytes have been detected and quantified in neat human saliva and neat human urine working with third party clients.

ELISHA Systems Ltd has World-wide patent protection in the area of AC Impedance interrogation of protein biochips and has IP in an alternative electrochemical detection technique developed in the ELISHA project.

ELISHA Systems Ltd is looking to discuss potential collaborations with interested third parties who have analyte panels they would like to transfer onto the ELISHA platform. Please contact Dr Tim Gibson or Dr Graham Johnson using the contact details above.