Quidel Corporation, a leading supplier of rapid diagnostic tests for women's and family health, announced on Wednesday that it has obtained two U.S. patents covering its MicroArray Film (MAF) technology platform obtained in connection with the acquisition of Litmus Concepts Inc.

Patent 6,099,801 covers the device platform technology used to visually detect amines in an iconic fashion and patent 6,113,856 covers the methods and formulations for production of extremely thin, immobilized, pH indicator films with precisely defined color transition points.

"These two patents significantly expand Quidel's intellectual property portfolio and add further strength to this very exciting technology platform. We believe that the combination of Quidel's existing immunoassay expertise and market presence, coupled with the highly adaptable and enabling MAF technology platform, give us an important competitive advantage in the out-of-hospital, point-of-care, diagnostics market," said Andre de Bruin, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Quidel Corporation.

Patent 6,099,801 is currently being used in Quidel's FDA cleared, CLIA waived, and internationally distributed FemExam(R) pH & Amines TestCard(TM) to detect vaginal fluid amines associated with Bacterial Vaginosis (BV).

Further, the Company believes this patented technology can be applied across a broad range of additional diagnostic testing products.

Patent 6,113,856 is also being used in the FemExam pH & Amines TestCard to detect elevated vaginal fluid pH associated with two common vaginal infections, BV and trichomoniasis. The patented technology is broadly adaptable to numerous testing applications.

Quidel Corporation discovers, develops, manufactures and markets point-of-care, rapid diagnostic tests for detection of medical conditions and illnesses. These products provide accurate, rapid and cost-effective diagnostic information for acute and chronic conditions that affect women's health throughout the phases of their lives including reproductive status, pregnancy management and osteoporosis.

Quidel also provides point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases, including influenza A and B, strep throat, H. pylori infection, chlamydia, infectious mononucleosis, and bacterial vaginosis. Quidel's products are sold to healthcare professionals for use in physicians' offices, clinical laboratories and pharmacies, and to consumers through organizations that provide private label, store brand products. These tests provide diagnostic information to enable rapid treatment and improve health outcomes, lower costs, and increase patient satisfaction.