We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App





New Simple, 15-Minute Sample-to-Answer COVID-19 Test Used with Desktop Detection System Costs Less than USD 2

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 03 Feb 2021
A simple, 15-minute sample-to-answer antibody test that costs less than USD 2 and is used with a desktop detection system could make COVID-19 testing more fast, cheap, and accessible.

The cost efficient COVID-19 antibody test developed by researchers from the Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Lab at The Grainger College of Engineering University of Illinois (Urbana, IL, USA) is based on a “flu chip” that was being developed before the pandemic to rapidly determine the most likely cause of a fever by measuring several proteins within a droplet of blood.

Serological (detected by blood sample) antibody testing is an important diagnostic tool for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. More...
Studies have shown that measurement of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies may be helpful for the diagnosis of suspected patients with negative RT-PCR results and for the identification of asymptomatic infections – a cause for concern as vaccinations may lessen or eliminate symptoms as well as prevent infection. Quantitative measurement of COVID-19 antibody titer is also vital for blood transfusion therapy, which has shown promising results for treating patients with severe symptoms.

The new highly sensitive, fast, and low-cost test demonstrates great potential for wide applications in diverse working environments. COVID antibody testing could become routine and simple as a variety of vaccines are deployed whose long-term protection is not yet fully known. The test is simple enough to be performed at schools, health clinics, pharmacies, and parts of the world where diagnostic laboratories are not available.

“Compared with other detection methods, our method is a simple, 15-minute sample-to-answer test,” said Bin Zhao, a postdoctoral research associate and IGB Fellow. “It costs less than USD 2 per test and is used with a desktop detection system that is suitable for point-of-care situations like clinics and physician offices.”

“Our developed method is not only rapid and simple, but also highly sensitive and quantitative. It also requires only a fingerstick quantity of blood (~ 4 µL),” added Nantao Li, an ECE and Holonyak Lab graduate student. “The method that we used to detect COVID-19 antibody can also be adapted to detect other molecules, such as antibodies to other viral pathogens, biomarkers for cardiac disease, and biomarkers for cancer.”

Related Links:
University of Illinois


Gold Member
SARS-CoV-2 Reactive & Non-Reactive Controls
Qnostics SARS-CoV-2 Typing
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
8-Channel Pipette
SAPPHIRE 20–300 µL
ESR Analyzer
TEST1 2.0
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New evidence shows viscoelastic testing can improve assessment of blood clotting during postpartum hemorrhage (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Viscoelastic Testing Could Improve Treatment of Maternal Hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage, severe bleeding after childbirth, remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, yet many of these deaths are preventable. Standard care can be hindered by delays... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The CloneSeq-SV approach can allow researchers to study how cells within high-grade serous ovarian cancer change over time (Photo courtesy of MSK)

Blood Test Tracks Treatment Resistance in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because it spreads microscopically throughout the abdomen, and although initial surgery and chemotherapy can work, most... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to improve access to Hb variant testing with the Gazelle POC diagnostic platform (Photo courtesy of Hemex Health)

Terumo BCT and Hemex Health Collaborate to Improve Access to Testing for Hemoglobin Disorders

Millions of people worldwide living with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders experience delayed diagnosis and limited access to effective care, particularly in regions where testing is scarce.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.