A group of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a portable COVID-19 micro-PCR diagnostic system. Their device, called Epidax, enables rapid and accurate on-site screening of infectious diseases. Moreover, it significantly reduces the analysis time of patient samples.
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests currently used for COVID-19 diagnosis must be conducted in specialized testing facilities. The results could take a few hours or a few days before its release.
A ten-member team from the NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) has developed a breakthrough diagnostic setup from scratch in a record time of merely two months. It would generally take a project of this scale to be completed in at least one to two years.
The COVID-19 has brought exceptional health, social, and economic disputes in all parts of the world. Until a vaccine finally becomes available, widespread testing is crucial to prevent further disease spread.
Moreover, testing also aids in providing appropriate medical treatment for those who test positive for the disease. However, most of the available tests are rather expensive in terms of equipment and human resources. Additionally, some tests also take time before results are released.
The researchers believe that if the coronavirus can be quickly detected in patients, the chances of containing it will become better.
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Portable, On-site Coronavirus Testing
According to Professor Lim Chwee Teck, the institute's director, Epidax provides an efficient solution to address the limitations of the current coronavirus tests. About the size of a toaster, Epidax is a microfluidics-based polymerase chain reaction diagnostic structure.
Being easily portable, the device can be deployed and carried anywhere for fast on-site virus infection screening. As of the present, nasal swab samples are first collected at a testing site or clinic, before being sent to the laboratory for processing. Before initiating the PCR test, the extraction of the virus' RNA is necessary.
The Epidax system utilizes a uniquely designed microfluidic chip made from micro-channels where samples are refined. By using microfluidic technology, the system can process smaller amounts of samples for faster detection of COVID-19 infection.
Professor Lim says they have designed Epidax to be user-friendly. Necessary steps could quickly be followed and executed within five minutes. Furthermore, the researchers claim their device could give off results in just one hour.
The NUS research team verified the Epidax system against existing PCR systems. Moreover, they found that the Epidax system has the same or even higher sensitivity than some of the PCR systems available at the moment.
Making Epidax Available in the Market
The NUS research team has filed a patent for their invention and is currently negotiating with a medical technology company to prepare their technology for saleability.
Professor Lim says the team is keen to develop their portable micro-polymerase chain reaction diagnostic system further. Furthermore, the team is also hopeful that their invention can even be deployed at home. With the current advances in science and technology, he firmly believes their aspirations are highly achievable in the near future.
The Epidax system is one of the novelties developed by NUS to take on the current global pandemic. Since the beginning of the crisis, the University has been ardently participating in the fight against COVID-19 on different aspects.
