Breath-testing deal for Avacta

York-based Avacta, which was spun out of the University of Leeds, said it had entered into an agreement with EV (Medical Screening) global rights to its laser based breath diagnostics technology.

Avacta acquired the technology in 2007 and has developed it into a

method of breath diagnostics and industrial gas sensing with several prototypes.

EV, a breath diagnostic company, said Avacta's technology would provide an accurate and sensitive method of detecting certain gases in human breath.

EV is focusing on non-invasive ways of screening people for two years and wants to bring products to the multi-billion pound to market within two years.

Alastair Smith, chief executive of Avacta Group, said: "The Avacta gas analysis technology has the potential to provide a rapid, non-invasive and accurate method of screening the population for diabetes and this is an area that Avacta had identified as ideal for its technology for some time.

"Our limited resources have not allowed Avacta to focus on human diagnostic applications to date but this license agreement with EV will accelerate the commercialisation of the technology in a valuable application area."