Scientists Developing Point
Of Care Covid-19 Test
A
team of scientists from the
University of Surrey, Lancaster
University and Brunel University are
developing an easy-to-use test that can
inform people if they have COVID-19 in
just half an hour.
The proposed molecular test and
smartphone app would let people who
are self-isolating test themselves, and
allow health care workers test both
patients and themselves – helping the
UK to dramatically upscale its testing
capacity.
12
The team is also working on adding
a telemedicine functionality to the
mobile app that can control the device,
track the users’ movements and contact
anyone who has had a close interaction
with the person diagnosed to suggest
steps to take in order to reduce the risk
of COVID-19 infection and spread.
The estimated cost of the device is
approximately £100 each to mass-
produce and about £25 to 6 samples.
The battery-operated, hand-held device
is simple and straightforward to use:
nasal or throat swabs are placed into the
device; then, in 30 minutes, it can identify
whether the individual has COVID-19. The
samples do not need to go to a laboratory
and the same device can test six people
at once. Professor Roberto La Ragione, Deputy
Head of the School of Veterinary
Medicine at the University of Surrey,
said: “We are delighted to be involved
in the development of rapid diagnostic
tools for Covid-19. With a fast response
from manufacturers, we could deliver
a point-of-care test kit to support
mass-scale testing within the NHS and
globally.”
The science behind the test has been used
and evaluated in the Philippines to check
chickens for viral and bacterial infections.
The UK-based team is adapting the
Philippines method to detect COVID-19 in
humans and is calling on backers to help
them mass-produce the kits. Professor Wamadeva Balachandran from
Brunel University London said: “Now that
we know multiple genomes of COVID-19,
we can develop the molecular test in
a week and have it up and running on
the device in three or four weeks. We
are confident it will perform well and
we urgently need industrial partners to
come on board. This innovation is set to
have a huge impact on society.
“Normally, anything like this would have
to undergo extensive clinical trials, but
this is not a normal situation. Speed is
essential. With local hospitals’ help we
aim to do a limited amount of testing
using positive and negative samples
that are currently available. According
to the Imperial College model, this
pandemic might last for 18 months
-- and cases will rise over the next
few months. The new test would be a
tremendous help in easing the pressure
on the healthcare sector.”
Dr Muhammad Munir, Molecular
Virologist at Lancaster University, said:
“The team strongly believes that with
our combined expertise we will be able
to make this device and its associated
system available for adoption within
a few weeks, and take a step closer to
beating COVID-19.”
Manufacturers can contact wamadeva.
[email protected]
NEW Network-Capable Absolute Encoder from BEPc
For EtherCAT communication in a precision
absolute encoder, we’ve got your solution.
BEPc’s Model A58 features networking capability and is EtherCAT ready. With its minimal setup,
you can install these encoders quickly and easily. The model A58 offers :-
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
58mm packages
Shaft or Hollow Bore construction
Variety of mounting options
on
Flexible, low cost, and network-compatible industrial Ethernet solution
Maintains position information even in power-off scenarios
Up to 16 bits single turn resolution
Up to 43 bits multi-turn resolution
Call BEPc today to learn how an EtherCAT
absolute encoder can fit your application.
Web: www.encoder.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1978 262100
13