CapitalBio’s genetic deafness detection chip

CapitalBio, a member enterprise of Tsinghua Holdings, has to date carried out genetic deafness screening for over 3.5 million new-born babies, the largest such endeavor in the world.

Genetic deafness screening using products of CapitalBio has determined that the rate of the genetic mutation is 4.4%, and more than 10,000 newborns carry the gene that can create deafness from improper use of drugs.

CapitalBio’s genetic deafness screening products have been deployed in more than 30 provinces and autonomous regions and even in Vietnam. Genetic deafness screening projects have been carried out among newborns and high risk groups in more than 20 provinces and municipalities.

Working to prevent hearing disability, CapitalBio won the second prize of National Awards for Technological Invention in 2018 for development and application of its genetic deafness gene screening chip system.

It’s considered to be the first chip in the world to detect hereditary hearing impairment including congenital deafness, drug-induced deafness and delayed deafness. Such genetic testing solves difficulties in tracing sample genotyping which means that early diagnosis and intervention over deafness become possible, a breakthrough in deafness birth defect prevention.

Until now, about 60 billion yuan of medical cost has been saved through use of CapitalBio’s screening equipment which is considered to be a symbolic achievement of precision medicine, the head of CapitalBio said.

CapitalBio independently researched and developed supporting equipment for large-scale screening and used a genetic chip platform and an NGS sequencing platform to help screen for deafness and diagnose it.

According to a report on prevention and treatment of birth defects in China (2012), hearing disorders are the second largest birth defect and about 60 percent of severe deafness is caused by hereditary factors. This is why early diagnosis and prevention is critically important. 

Certificate of National Award for Technological Invention