IIT Kharagpur Researchers Develop Novel Technology For COVID-19 Rapid Test

Researchers at IIT Kharagpur claim to have developed a novel technology for COVID-19 rapid test ultra-portable device at a cost Rs 400.

A customized smartphone application to disseminate test results within an hour, without requiring manual interpretation.

"The entire rapid test can be conducted in an ultra-low-cost portable device with the test results available in a customized smartphone application for dissemination within one hour and requiring manual interpretation. All of this at a cost of Rs 400 per test," read a press statement.

The statement further read that the "entire test" can be conducted in an "ultra-low-cost portable enclosure as an alternative to specialized laboratory equipment".

"The same portable unit can be used for a large number of tests, on mere replacement of the paper cartridge after each test. The device has been proven to produce no false result with remarkable accuracy and sensitivity compatible to standard RT-PCR tests," the statement added.

Prof. Suman Chakraborty from the Mechanical Engineering Department, IIT Kharagpur, and Dr Arindam Mondal from the School of BioScience, IIT Kharagpur, came up with the concept of the rapid testing kit.

For the first time, a record number of more than 4.2 lakh COVID tests have been conducted in a single day by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Saturday.

According to an official release of the Union Health Ministry, with 4,20,898 samples tested in the last 24 hours, the tests per million (TPM) have further increased to 11,485 and cumulative testing to 1,58,49,068.