08/17/2020 - 16:50
- Clarín.com
- Society
Israeli scientists are testing a new coronavirus test method via gargle and sputum on hundreds of patients , and report that so far it is proving to be 95% accurate . The developers have built a USB-powered machine the size of an ashtray , which takes just a second to perform a light analysis of patients' mouthwash.
The Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest, is in the middle of a 400-person trial , and the researchers say that if precision levels continue at this accuracy, they expect it to be available internationally by the end of the year, according to the report. Jewish News Agency.
The innovation team, made up of Sheba and imaging company Newsight, says the technology has the potential to replace PCR tests , which include an unpleasant swabbing process and require lengthy laboratory analysis, as the primary method of detection. used all over the world. PCR tests are believed to be around 80% accurate.
Accelerated PCR testing, the fastest current method, is not widely available and with a 15 minute turnaround time at best, it has a high financial cost and a lower level of precision.
"This system is very fast, cheap and seems reliable," Professor Eli Schwartz, head of the trial and of the Sheba Center for Geographic Medicine, told the Times of Israel. "It is suitable for mass detection, as well as for detection at airports, in nursing homes, and even in homes," he explained.
The new test, say Israeli scientists, could reduce the time required for PCR analyzes. Photo: EFE
"The idea is to largely replace PCR testing, especially in places where massive testing is needed," added Schwartz. Furthermore, he noted that the system will give very accurate positive-negative results, and the PCR test will only be necessary if the results are questionable , or if medical professionals need detailed information on viral load, which their test will not provide.
The system requires patients to rinse with 10 milliliters of a special mouthwash, and then spit into a tube . The sample is placed in a machine that analyzes it, and reports if it matches the profile of a sample infected with Covid-19.
The machine, called SpectraLIT, does not require any chemicals, and no medical skills are required to operate it. Eli Assoolin, CEO of Newsight, told The Times of Israel that the machine shines light through the sample and onto a special chip. "A light source goes through it, and some of the light is absorbed, and the rest is captured by the sensors," he said.
The process is known as determining the “spectral signature” of the sample: matter reflects different signatures of light, depending on its composition. Artificial intelligence tools have made it possible for developers to determine what the signature of a person's coronavirus positive mouthwash looks like, as opposed to anyone else's mouthwash.
In the weeks leading up to the current trial, staff entered spectral signature data from numerous individuals whose positivity / negativity status was already known into the chip. The data collected by the sensors for each person's spectral signature was fed into an algorithm, which was used to build a profile of infected and uninfected people.
If the new screening method goes mainstream and makes testing more accessible, as he hopes, Schwartz said it will prove to be "lifesavers" by alerting people to self-isolate before they know otherwise.
Assoolin said it will also solve a major PCR supply shortage problem . "There is a huge shortage of PCR test kits, and we are getting rid of the need for these expensive kits and chemicals needed for processing," she said.
As Assoolin explained, patents for the technology have been filed internationally. Virusight Diagnostics, a company established jointly by Sheba and Newsight, can quickly begin mass production of testing machines and materials. "We hope that by the end of this year the system will be commercially available to everyone, and before that we hope that it will be used in large pilots, even in airports, " he said.
The tube and specially formulated mouthwash given to patients will cost 25 cents . The developers say they hope that once the machines are in mass production, they will be available starting at $ 200.
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