The MolecuLight i:X is a handheld fluorescence imaging device that provides instant visual detection and documentation of potentially harmful bacteria in wounds that would otherwise be invisible.

The MolecuLight i:X emits a precise wavelength of safe violet light, which interacts with the wound tissue and bacteria causing the wound and surrounding skin to emit a green fluorescence (i.e. collagen) and potentially harmful bacteria to emit a red fluorescence (i.e. porphyrins)or cyan fluorescence ( Pseudomonas).1 In real-time, MolecuLight i:X captures these red, cyan and green fluorescence signals using specialized optical components to filter out the violet light, and displays the resultant image immediately on the display screen (FL-image).1,2 The MolecuLight i:X is precisely calibrated to detect fluorescent bacteria at levels of ≥ 104 CFU/g on a quantitative scale or predominantly moderate to heavy growth on a semi-quantitative scale.3

Which types of bacteria can be detected?

Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that the MolecuLighti:Xcan detect red fluorescence from Gram positive, Gram negative, aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species, whether they are planktonic or in a biofilm1,5.

Pre-clinical research has demonstrated the following species can produce red fluorescence detectable by the MolecuLight i:X in vitro5 (see list below). However, there are many bacterial species not tested here that may also produce red fluorescence6.

  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis
  • Staphylococcus capitis
  • Staphylococcus lugdunensis
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa
  • Pseudomonas putida
  • Escherichia coli
  • Corynebacterium striatum
  • Proteus mirabilis
  • Proteus vulgaris
  • Enterobacter cloacae
  • Serratia marcescens
  • Acinetobacter baumannii
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Klebsiella oxytoca
  • Morganella morganii
  • Propionibacterium acnes
  • Stenotrophonomas maltophilia
  • Bacteroides fragilis
  • Aeromonas hydrophilia
  • Alcaligenes faecalis
  • Bacillus cereus
  • Citrobacter koseri
  • Citrobacter freundii
  • Clostridium perfringens
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Peptostreptococcus anaerobius
  • Veillonella parvula

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References

Bacterial presence confirmed by microbiological analysis (qPCR: bacterial load ≥ 104 CFU/g; culture analysis: bacterial load predominately ≥ moderate/heavy)

  1. DaCosta RS, Kulbatski I, Lindvere-Teene L, Starr D, Blackmore K, Silver JI, Opoku J, Wu YC, Medeiros PJ, Xu W, Xu L, Wilson BC, Rosen C, Linden R. Point-of-care autofluorescence imaging for real-time sampling and treatment guidance of bioburden in chronic wounds: first-in-human results. PLOS ONE, 2015, 10(2). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116623.
  2. Raizman R, DaCosta RS. Handheld real-time fluorescence imaging of bacteria guides treatment selection and timing of dressing changes in inpatients undergoing negative pressure wound therapy.  Presented at IWH 2016. Proceedings of the Innovations in Wound Healing Conference; 2016 Dec 8-11, Key Largo, FL, USA.
  3. Rennie MY, Lindvere-Teene L, Tapang K, Linden R. Point-of-care fluorescence imaging predicts the presence of pathogenic bacteria in wounds: a clinical study. Journal of Wound Care, 2017, 26(8), 452-460. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2017.26.8.452.