The developers of the new test rely on the results of the collaboration between scientists from the University of Louboro and medical professionals from different countries around the world who worked on the TOXY-triage project.
The first trials of the new coronavirus test confirm that it is possible in the near future to have a simple way to detect infection in a matter of seconds instead of hours. The full test takes minutes.
The breath test, developed in Wales, can detect Covid-19 and distinguish it from other respiratory infections almost immediately. The results of trials of the new test, conducted in Scotland and Germany, have been published in the prestigious medical journal Lancet.
Its developer, Imspex Diagnostics, has announced that the tester will be ready for use in six months if the necessary funding is found. “I think the prospects are very exciting,” said the company’s founder and CEO, Santi Dominguez. “The fact that it is instant will allow it to be used in a wide variety of situations, not just in hospitals.”
“Its potential is seen in aviation, in transportation in general, and in working with migrants. The breath sample can be taken quickly, it is non-invasive, does not require a specially trained person, and within a few minutes you have the result,” he says.
As previously reported, the device is based on technology originally used to develop tests to diagnose diseases such as lung cancer and to quickly distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. However, after the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the company decided to focus its efforts on coronavirus diagnostics. “We have developments in this area, including experience in using such devices. When the coronavirus appeared, it forced us to move in this direction,” says Dominges.
Today, invasive tests are used to diagnose Covid-19. Two tests based on this technology have been conducted on patients in hospitals in Edinburgh and Dortmund. The researchers wanted to understand if such a device could differentiate Covid-19 from other infections. The device analyzes a breath sample, looking for unstable chemical elements that provide a key to understanding the type of respiratory disease. Tests were able to detect the signature of Covid-19 in these elements, which was later confirmed by other invasive testing methods. The tests were able to detect Covid-19 in 80% of cases and distinguish the coronavirus from other diseases such as asthma or bacterial pneumonia.
New tests in the conditions of an epidemic can significantly facilitate the work of airport staff. The Edinburgh tests also identified chemical elements that can be used to determine with a high degree of probability the severity of the disease and the risk of a fatal outcome. “If these tests prove to be reliable, they will open up the possibility of rapid diagnosis of Covid-19 in polyclinics or emergency rooms, which will significantly facilitate the work of medical personnel,” the scientists say. It is especially important to determine Covid-19 quickly during influenza epidemics, which can have similar symptoms. Scientists are very excited about the new development, but so far the tests have not been extensive enough, being conducted on about 100 patients.