A handheld device that requires a nasal or saliva sample to deliver an extremely accurate COVID-19 diagnosis within seconds. (Credit: Lancaster University]

A new COVID-19 test could have a huge social and economic impact and completely change the response in the travel and leisure industries. The project is looking to create a handheld device that requires a nasal or saliva sample to deliver an extremely accurate COVID-19 diagnosis within seconds. The device uses innovative infrared spectroscopy and with a proprietary algorithm, that can be Cloud-based, to identify the biomarkers which indicate the presence of the virus.

The portable devices could be stationed at the entrance to sports or concert arenas, or at airport check-in desks for people travelling abroad to provide almost instant reassurance for anyone flying or attending a busy event.

As the results are immediately entered into an online database, the system could also help give an accurate real-time picture of the prevalence of COVID-19 in a set geographic area – providing vital data for those working on the response strategy.

Following each test, the scanning area simply needs to be wiped clean so the devices can carry out thousands of tests and also drastically cut down plastic wastage created by current options.

For more information, visit here  .

Topics:
Anatomy Cloud computing Data acquisition and handling Diagnosis Diagnostics Diseases Fluids and secretions Medical Medical equipment and supplies Medical, health and wellness Sensors and actuators Spectroscopy Test equipment and instrumentation

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    This article first appeared in the May, 2022 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 12 No. 5).

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