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Austrian university unveils 'world’s fastest' coronavirus test

The Local Austria
The Local Austria - [email protected]
Austrian university unveils 'world’s fastest' coronavirus test
Photo: ROBYN BECK / AFP

Vienna University has made a patent application for a coronavirus test which provides a result in “less than five minutes”.

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Much faster than existing tests, the process is also more accurate than the fastest test options currently available - i.e. antigen tests. 

Those behind the test say that it could be used at large events, allowing for an accurate diagnosis of attendees. 

"Previous tests often lasted around twelve minutes. That doesn't sound like much, but if I want to test everyone at the entrance before a big event, it becomes difficult. With our test, this can be done much faster,” said said Prof. Peter Ertl, who heads up the Institute for Chemical Technologies and Analytics at TU Wien. 

UPDATE: When will mass coronavirus tests take place in my part of Austria? 

"We already know that the method works well, which is why we have already applied for a patent", explains Ertl. 

"Of course, our new technology is not only applicable to coronaviruses, it can be adapted to any type of virus."

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How does it work? 

The developers have put in a patent application for the testing process, which uses bio-chips “to reliably detect extremely small numbers of viruses”. 

"We have been dealing with bio-chip technologies for many years," Ertl said. 

"You work with tiny amounts of liquid that can be precisely controlled and examined in the fine channels of a bio-chip. It is precisely these technologies that can now be used to develop a highly sensitive corona rapid test."

The process uses a nano-sensor to identify the virus on a bio-chip. 

Detailed information about the tests is available in English here

 

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