Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's new instrument detects multiple viruses in 30 minutes

[ Instrument network instrument research and development ] Influenza is referred to as influenza, which is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza virus. It is also a disease with strong contagious and fast transmission speed. The general autumn and winter season is the high incidence of influenza, and the complications and deaths caused by it are very serious. The former type A H1N1 is a kind of flu.

Laboratory testing is the key method for judging influenza diseases, including blood tests, urine tests, virus or pathogen analysis, and viral nucleic acid detection. The results of laboratory tests are based on laboratory tests and the data is reliable. However, laboratory testing also has some drawbacks, that is, the detection process is complicated and time consuming.

For the treatment of diseases, early detection and early treatment are the key, as is the case with influenza treatment. In a certain layer, improving the speed of flu diagnosis can more effectively treat patients. In particular, most of the flu is similar to the common cold. People don't realize its seriousness. When they go to the hospital, they are often more serious. At this time, as soon as the cause is diagnosed, targeted treatment can be performed more quickly.

How to improve the speed of flu diagnosis? A few days ago, Zhongxin.com reported that Zhang Baiheng, an assistant research professor at the Department of Chemistry of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, led a research team and successfully developed a test instrument that can detect nearly 100 infectious pathogens within 30 minutes. It is understood that the annual peak of Hong Kong flu from January to March and July to August, it takes at least 3 days to diagnose the infection by relying on the current detection technology. The research results of Zhang Baiheng's research team can greatly improve the speed of influenza diagnosis.

The instrument is called "FET-easy" and can detect whether a patient is infected with a virus based on the pH value of the DNA of the influenza virus (DNA). The whole process takes only 30 minutes. The instrument can detect nearly 100 infectious pathogens, including tuberculosis, measles, and flu, with an accuracy rate of 95%.

The set of instruments requires only HK$4,000, and the disposable chips cost only HK$200 per piece. Compared with tens of thousands, even dozens of millions of testing instruments, the instrument is low in cost and powerful in function, and is considered to be cheap and good. The low price not only reduces the cost of equipment introduction for hospitals, but also allows instruments to enter private clinics and even families.

This instrument is expected to be put on the market in 2020. I hope that by the time the instrument can cooperate with doctors, it will make a difference in the rapid diagnosis of influenza and the effective response to the flu season.

Source: China News Network