[Explanation] A few days ago, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University announced that the school's interdisciplinary research team has developed a portable new coronavirus detector, which has attracted attention.
On April 14, Ye Sheping, head of the research team and director of the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, introduced in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Agency that the instrument weighs about 2.4 kilograms, and the chassis is a square with a side length of about 21 centimeters. About 10.5 cm high, easy to carry.
The detector can confirm a positive sample of the new coronavirus within 25 minutes, complete the test within 40 minutes, and the result can be identified with the naked eye.
[Concurrent] Ye Sheping, Head of the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
During the test, we will have some lights shining under the test tube, and then we will collect the signal, and our instrument will transmit the signal to the mobile phone application through bluetooth.
In about 12 to 20 minutes, you see the line rise, then these specimens should be positive, those that have remained the same (maintain) a straight line are negative.
At 40 minutes, you remove the tube from the instrument and you can see the results with the naked eye.
The original test agent was a red solution, nothing precipitated red.
If the specimen is negative, you can take it out after 40 minutes and see that it is all red and unchanged.
But if it's positive, its solution is clear inside, but there is some red sediment at the bottom.
[Explanation] Ye Sheping said that the innovation of this research is that the team uses the gold nanoparticles developed as a nucleic acid amplification display agent, which can perform accurate new coronavirus detection on the basis of shortening the time.
[Concurrent] Ye Sheping, Head of the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Where do we innovate?
It is the "gold nano" that we developed.
Our test actually uses an amplification method called RT-LAMP (reverse transcription constant temperature circular amplification method), coupled with the "gold nano" particles we developed.
If RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) usually takes 2 to 4 hours, but now with RT-LAMP, in our system, it is about 10 to 22 minutes, and it can be amplified to allow us see it change.
[Explanation] It is reported that the PolyU team has received more than HK$2.7 million from the Medical and Health Research Fund in 2020 to carry out related research.
At present, the detector can detect up to four samples at the same time. After the samples are collected, the detection can be carried out on the spot.
Ye Sheping expressed the hope that the research results can be more widely used in the future.
[Concurrent] Ye Sheping, Head of the Department of Medical Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
With our portable tester I actually don't need testing done in a traditional laboratory.
I'm in an airport, customs, quarantine, hotel, theater or co-working space, school, doctor's office, that is, it doesn't have a traditional laboratory, but I want to know (test results), this is the first requirement, we can do it of.
[Explanation] It is reported that the clinical sample test results of the detector are in full agreement with the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction standard, and its sensitivity and specificity can reach 100%, which is on par with the current "gold standard" for new coronavirus nucleic acid detection.
Reporter Fan Siyi and Luo Siyu report from Hong Kong
Responsible editor: [Luo Pan]