Sensor strips provide SARS-CoV-2 detection in 30 seconds
Sensor strips provide SARS-CoV-2 detection in 30 seconds lead image
The gold standard for testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, polymerase chain reaction, currently takes more than an hour to generate quantitative results. Lateral flow assays or rapid tests typically take 15 minutes. Point-of-care testing for events with large crowds remains elusive.
Chiang et al. developed a mechanism for detecting SARS-CoV-2 faster than the current gold standard. The device uses electrical pulses sent through sensor strips with biofunctionalized antibodies to rapidly detect the presence of the virus. It can return a binary positive-negative result in 30 seconds and quantitative virus data in 5 minutes.
“Our system can provide both rapid qualitative diagnosis and quantitative results with high precision and an average cost of less than one dollar for each disposable strip,” said researcher Chao-Ching Chiang. “The combination of low response time and low cost makes this platform suitable for screening large crowds.”
The device also includes a circuit board embedded with a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor to amplify and convert signals for an LCD display.
The accuracy of this transistor’s qualitative detection is comparable to that of the PCR methods across eight clinical samples.
“The ultra-low 30 second response time was not expected in the first place,” Chiang said. “Moreover, since we averaged ten pulses with a very short pulse width of less than two milliseconds, theoretically, the time needed for virus detection could be further reduced.”
Chiang hopes this work will increase interest in detecting other disease biomarkers. The next step is to simplify the functionalization of strips and conduct more clinical studies.
Source: “Evaluation of dry stored disposable sensor strip on rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection platform,” by Chao-Ching Chiang, Chan-Wen Chiu, Fan Ren, Cheng-Tse Tsai, Yu-Te Liao, Josephine F Esquivel-Upshaw, and Stephen J. Pearton, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002293 .
This paper is part of the Honoring Dr. Gary McGuires Research and Leadership as Editor of the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology for Three Decades Collection, learn more here .
