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S’pore scientists develop kit that detects viruses within two hours

SINGAPORE — A patient who is suspected of having contracted an infectious disease, such as dengue, may soon have his condition verified within just two hours with the help of an automated portable virus detector microkit.

Dr Jackie Ying (left) and Dr Tian Wei-Cheng with the automated portable virus detector microkit. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

Dr Jackie Ying (left) and Dr Tian Wei-Cheng with the automated portable virus detector microkit. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

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SINGAPORE — A patient who is suspected of having contracted an infectious disease, such as dengue, may soon have his condition verified within just two hours with the help of an automated portable virus detector microkit.

The device is able to detect common infectious viruses, including H1N1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome, from swabs, blood and saliva samples within that short period.

It was jointly created by scientists from Delta Electronics and A*STAR’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) under the Delta-IBN Life Science and Diagnostics Lab, which focuses on rapid disease diagnosis, among other things.

The 17cm-by-14cm portable device requires users to add the clinical sample, such as blood or tissue, into the built-in cartridge and press a button to begin the analysis. When the analysis is complete, users will need to connect the detection kit to an Android device, such as a mobile phone or tablet.

An accompanying application in the phone or tablet will indicate whether or not any viruses are present in the sample.

IBN executive director Jackie Ying, one of the scientists behind the kit, said all virus detection processes currently take place in laboratories, where it could take between eight and 48 hours to complete the analysis.

The detection kit is also easy to use, which reduces the need for training and minimises hands-on time, said Dr Tian Wei-Cheng, Delta’s lab director.

“The reagents needed to execute the (testing process) are stored on board the cartridge, (so) the only element needed to be added by the user is the clinical sample,” he added.

The kit was created to address the challenge of curtailing the mass outbreak of infectious diseases. These challenges include detecting the diseases quickly and accurately at an early stage, said Dr Ying.

She added that patients will benefit most from the rapid diagnosis, as early detection will allow them to receive the appropriate treatment quicker, and help save lives by curtailing the spread of the infectious disease.

Currently, the prototype of the detector kit has been used only to detect the H1N1 virus.

However, improvements are being made to the prototype so that it can handle more viruses and samples. While the final price of the kit has yet to be determined, the scientists hope to make the device as affordable as possible.

The detection kit is expected to be commercialised by next year, when it will be made available for use in hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories and at airport checkpoints. Elgin Chong

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