The interdisciplinary research team led by Prof. Yip Shea-ping, Associate Director, Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Professor and Head of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics of PolyU (left) launches highly sensitive portable testing device for COVID-19.
The portable nucleic acid testing device for COVID-19 weighs 2.4kg, and the dimension is 21cm x 21cm x 10.5cm. The portable and rechargeable design of the device enables the entire testing procedures to be performed outside the laboratory.
The gold nanoparticles precipitate in positive samples (right), while remain dispersed in negative samples (left). The entire test can be completed in about 40 minutes, and the test results can be recognized with bare eyes.
RCSV congratulated Prof. Yip Shea-ping, Associate Director, Research Centre for SHARP Vision; Professor and Head of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, PolyU, on leading an interdisciplinary research team to develop a fast and accurate device for testing COVID-19.
Prof. Yip’s team was awarded over HK$2.7 million by the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) to commence research on a portable testing device for COVID-19 (the device) in 2020. After one and a half years of extensive work, the team successfully achieved highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA detection based on the combination of reverse transcription–loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and gold nanoparticles (as amplification result readout reagent). The clinical sample test results were in full agreement with the reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) standard.
This innovation attests to RCSV Members’ commitment to transform research breakthroughs into impactful real-world solutions that benefit the community, as guided by PolyU’s motto – “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”.
With local and overseas expertise, RCSV is poised to discover novel ways to promote healthy development of vision, to maintain healthy life-long sharp vision, and to restore, regenerate and rehabilitate vision.
For more details of the device, please refer to the following webpage:
