COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Kit

  • Alireza from Tehran University of Medical Sciences
  • From Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Responsive
  • Innovative Products and Technologies

Summary of the technology

Designing and developing vaccines, cures and diagnostic kits can be considered as the first priority for every country which is in the first line of fighting against coronavirus. Now there is only PCR test and IgG/IgM test for COVID-19 assessment. One of the most important problems of this diagnostic test is the time needed by the device to detect infected persons. This problem makes big companies in the field of pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturing to design and develop rapid test kits.

Our research team found that there are some specific proteins on the viral membrane which can make some reagents undergo a specific chemical reaction. Every reaction has a specific product related to substrates, so by detection of products with indicator reagents we are able to identify the virus in saliva. Indicator reagents usually change the reaction mixture color so by color change we can approve that the person is infected by COVID-19.

The advantages of using saliva include:

specimen collection can be done without a healthcare professional
no additional equipment such as swabs or transport media are needed
as nasopharyngeal specimens can be 'uncomfortable' use of saliva-based testing may encourage recruits to clinical trials of vaccines.
So far two prototypes have been designed:

1) For Home Testing: Disposable test kits where an individual adds a saliva sample into a vial containing the indicator reagent, the presence of the COVID-19 virus is indicated by a positive test as shown by a colour change.

2) Reusable Low Cost Test Kits for Healthcare Professionals: Where there is a low concentration of virus in saliva, for example in the first days after infection, viral proteins can be concentrated using a saliva condensation function. In this situation, multiple samples of saliva are placed into a device which can condensate the samples to increase concentration of any virus present. After the test has been completed, the vessel can be disinfected for ready for re-use.

One of the most important properties of this approach is a much lower error rate than has been found in other devices. (errors found in other tests are in various submitted articles to different journals). The re-usable nature of this professional test could make it a practical solution for low-income countries where large scale expensive PCR testing is not an option.

Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Details of the Technology Offer

We designed two types of kits related to their work:

  • Home Test Kits: These are disposable test kits which person should insert his saliva into the vial type indicator reagent containing vessels, and if the color change occurs it means the person is infected.
  • Reusable Test Kits: These kits could have saliva condensation function which can help us if a person is in the first days of infection and the concentration of the virus is less in his saliva. In this situation person should insert the saliva sample multi times into the device and device can condensate the inserted sample to increase the concentration of the virus which becomes detectable by indicator reagents. After the test, the vessel can be disinfected by some specific mechanisms and become ready for the next test.

It’s clear that the Home Test Kits may work very faster and better, and Reusable Kits may be used in hospitals and health institutes. One of the most important properties of these deigned kits is a much lower error rate than other devices. (error occurred in other tests could be found in newly submitted articles to different journals)

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COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Kit
Alireza Daneshvar1, Mohammad Hossein Sharifnia1, Masoud Ameri2

1) Pharmacy Student and Researcher - Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy - Tehran, Iran
2) Islamic Azad University, Department of electronic and architecture - Semnan, Iran

Related Keywords

  • Biological Sciences
  • Medicine, Human Health
  • Biostatistics, Epidemiology
  • Clinical Research, Trials
  • Diagnostics, Diagnosis
  • Medical Research
  • Medical Technology / Biomedical Engineering
  • Pharmaceutical Products / Drugs
  • Virus, Virology / Antibiotics / Bacteriology
  • Medical Furniture
  • Medical Biomaterials
  • Emergency Medicine Technology
  • Remote diagnostics
  • Measurements and Standards
  • Analyses / Test Facilities and Methods
  • Medical Health related
  • Diagnostic
  • Diagnostic services
  • Other ( Diagnostic related )
  • Other diagnostic
  • Other Medical/Health Related
  • Clinical Medicine
  • Medical equipment
  • coronavirus
  • covid19
  • covid

About Tehran University of Medical Sciences

The first modern center of medical training in Iran was founded in 1851. It was a part of the Institute of Higher Education (Dar-ol-Fonoon). The School of Medicine was established as a part of University of Tehran in 1934. After the Islamic Revolution, medical schools and departments associated with medical fields were separated from the Ministry of Higher Education and were taken under the administration of the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. Since 1986, all those schools of University of Tehran which specialize in medical fields have carried on their activities independently as Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services.

TUMS is the oldest and most well-known medical center in Iran, nationally as well as internationally. TUMS, as one of the country’s top research universities, accepts applications from the most qualified students. It also has the largest schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, rehabilitation, allied medical sciences, public health, advanced technologies in medicine, nutritional sciences and dietetics, and nursing and midwifery in Iran as well as a virtual school. Over a hundred specialized research centers such as Science and Technology in Medicine, Rheumatology, Auditory, Digestive Disease, Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Trauma, Hematology and Oncology, Cardiovascular Diseases, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Reproductive Health, Urology, Immunology, and Asthma and Allergy are under the immediate supervision of this university.

TUMS has many teaching hospitals: Imam Khomeini, Sina, Shariati, Vali-e Asr, Amir Alam, Ziayian, and Baharloo are general and referral hospitals; Children’s Medical Center and Bahrami Hospital are TUMS pediatric centers; Farabi Hospital is a special center for ophthalmology; Razi Hospital is devoted to dermatology; Roozbeh Hospital is a center for psychiatry; Arash and Moheb-e Yas are special hospitals for gynecology, obstetrics and infertility; Tehran Heart Center is a cardiology center; and Cancer Institute, as the name suggests, specializes in cutting-edge cancer research and treatment. In addition, TUMS has excellent sports facilities for academics and students. These factors, along with the abilities and drive of its specialists, have made TUMS an important center with a notable reputation in the region and Central Asia.

TUMS is a large university. One of the many advantages of its size is that it can offer a wide range of courses. Admission to TUMS is granted without regard to race, color, religion, gender or national origin. TUMS admits by field of study and degree, and, when you apply, you must indicate your interest in a major and degree. Residency and fellowship programs are also offered to international students. The academic schedule at TUMS is semester-based. The fall semester begins in September and ends in January. The spring semester begins in February and ends in June. All international students will be admitted to start at the beginning of each semester.

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