Scientists Develop Sensor That Detects COVID-19 In Just 10 Minutes

With COVID-19 still spreading around the world like a wildfire, the need for quick testing of the novel coronavirus today is paramount.

Every day we¡¯re seeing newer and faster ways of testing and now, researchers have developed a new sensor that can detect COVID-19 in a matter of minutes.

Reuters

The tester has been developed by scientists at California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The tester is based on another sensor that they had fabricated out of graphene that helped in detecting gout through specific compounds found in blood, saliva and sweat.

In the sensor, a plastic sheet is etched with a laser creates a 3D graphene structure with tiny pores. This graphene structure is paired with antibodies that are developed after the body defeats the novel coronavirus. This sensor (with the help of antibodies and proteins) is able to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2, antibodies as well as chemical markers of inflammation that tell us about the severity of the COVID-19 infection.

Study co-author Wei Gao from Caltech explains, "This is the only telemedicine platform I've seen that can give information about the infection in three types of data with a single sensor. In as little as a few minutes, we can simultaneously check these levels, so we get a full picture about the infection, including early infection, immunity, and severity."

Caltech

Researchers tested out the sensor with a small batch of blood and saliva samples, where the sensor has detected the presence of SARS-CoV-2 very accurately. However, researchers ask for a large scale testing that would help determine its accuracy on a broader level.

Gao further added, "Our ultimate aim really is home use. In the following year, we plan to mail them to high-risk individuals for at-home testing. And in the future, this platform could be modified for other types of infectious disease testing at home."