"Development of reagents that greatly reduce PCR test time" Fuji Film May 8 15:08

FUJIFILM has announced that it has developed a new reagent that can reduce the time required for PCR test of new coronavirus from 1/3 to 1/5. Attention is paid to whether it will lead to an increase in the number of inspections.

FUJIFILM's subsidiary, "FUJIFILM Wako Junyaku," has developed a new reagent for PCR testing of the new coronavirus.

This reagent is compatible with FUJIFILM's fully-automated inspection equipment, and when set in the equipment together with a sample taken from a patient, all the processes from amplification of the virus gene contained in the sample to measurement can be performed automatically. about it.

Up to now, the PCR test takes about 4 to 6 hours, but it is said that it can be reduced to about 75 minutes by using a fully automatic inspection device and new reagents.

Since Fujifilm's fully-automatic inspection equipment has already been installed at dozens of medical institutions in Japan, it will be noted whether it will lead to an increase in the number of inspections at issue.

The company that developed the system said, “Full automation does not require skilled technology, minimizes inspection time, and reduces the risk of infection for medical staff. New reagents reduce the burden on medical institutions and increase the number of inspections. I want to contribute to. "