Rapid saliva antigen testing device for COVID-19

The combination is expected to re-imagine mass testing devices for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). Initial results, on inactivated virus particles, indicate a very good sensitivity in the order of cycle time (CT) 31, which could lead to the identification of asymptomatic persons.

“The pandemic is still with us and will continue to be part of our lives well into the new year. This partnership with ams will continue to provide innovative solutions urgently needed by government and authorities to help track and control this virus,” said Dr. Mario Thomas, CEO, Precision Biomonitoring. “We are dedicated to developing quality testing devices and with the addition of this highly-sensitive technology we will continue to change the testing landscape.” 

To create innovative solutions and support pandemic control, ams and Precision Biomonitoring are investigating the efficacy and sensitivity of a lab-free lateral-flow test connected to a medical cloud, to detect virus particles in as little as around 15-minutes. The test is focused on detecting the virus at earlier stages of infection, before symptoms have appeared.

The ams spectral sensor solution allows fluorescence-based read out of antigen detection, delivering high-quality professional health diagnostics, designed to improve speed and reliability of rapid, point-of-care diagnostics.

Jennifer Zhao, Executive Vice President, division Advanced Optical Sensors, ams, said: “Governments and authorities need to enable fast, reliable and effective testing. Our initial results for this solution indicate that even asymptomatic patients who carry the virus could be more readily identified. We expect the combination of Precision Biomonitoring and ams technology to become an essential tool in the effort to help control the pandemic and resume the many economic and social activities that comprise what we call normal life.

“This is aided by the fact that, once approved, the testing solution can be produced inexpensively and without complex limitations at high scale. We hope that this solution will eliminate complicated logistics and clinical processes and streamline approaches to mass testing.”