Increase production of PCR test reagents that can be used for saliva Shimadzu New Corona June 3 18:53

Regarding the PCR test for the presence or absence of new coronavirus infection, Shimadzu, a major manufacturer of analytical equipment in Kyoto City, has already started to sell test reagents that can be used for saliva, which is three times the originally planned 300,000 times a month. It will be increased.

According to the company, this test reagent allows the patient to collect saliva into a container, mix it with a special drug, and examine it with a test device, and the result will be available in a minimum of about 1 hour.

The reagent was already sold in April on the assumption that the sample will be collected from the mucous membrane behind the nose, but when it was examined whether the new coronavirus could be detected by the method of collecting from saliva, it was almost the same as the conventional PCR test. The result was obtained.

The company has decided to increase the supply of this test reagent to 300,000 doses per month, three times the original schedule.

Masamitsu Shikata, Group Leader of Shimadzu's genetic analysis group, said, ``I heard that it takes a lot of time to carry out the test, and there is a shortage of necessary medical materials such as cotton swabs, but if saliva makes it easier to obtain a sample, some people will test it. The burden will be lighter and the inspection will be easier.”