GERMANY – German multinational engineering and technology company Bosch has developed a new rapid test for its Vivalytic analysis device to detect the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen.
The test provides a reliable result in 39 minutes and is currently the fastest polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test worldwide.
Bosch’s new rapid test is predestined for decentralized use in mobile test centres at freeway service stations or in airports.
Available now in Europe, the CE-approved test helps avoid time in quarantine, relieve laboratories, and make travel and work safer again.
“One of the keys to fighting the coronavirus pandemic is to rapidly identify sources of infection and is why we focused on following up on our first coronavirus test with an even faster one,” says Dr. Volkmar Denner, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH.
“This will now enable us to put people’s minds at ease even more quickly. One of the keys to fighting the coronavirus pandemic is to rapidly identify sources of infection and that’s why we focused on following up on our first coronavirus test with an even faster one,” he added.
The development of the new Bosch PCR singleplex test is part of a research and development project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
The test has a sensitivity of 98 percent and a specificity of 100 percent.
The development of the kit was as a result of collaboration of Bosch subsidiary Bosch Healthcare Solutions and the German biotechnology company R-Biopharm – a leading provider of highly sensitive manual PCR tests. PCR tests are considered the gold standard of test methods.
The advantages of Bosch’s rapid test lie not only in speedy analysis but also in ease of use.
A sample is taken from the patient’s nose or throat using a swab and placed in the test cartridge and the test cartridge which already contains all the reagents required for the test, is inserted into the Vivalytic device for automated analysis.
The Vivalytic analysis device is designed to be user-friendly as the medical staff require only brief training on how to operate it.
The development of the Vivalytic system which consists of an analysis device and test cartridges, grew out of a long-standing collaboration between Bosch’s corporate research and advance engineering and Bosch Healthcare Solutions.
By the end of the year, Bosch wants to reach capacity for one million tests.
As demand for the analysis device and the rapid tests remains high, the company is working closely with its suppliers to maximize capacity and further increase supply.
Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE
