Corona innovation: Antibody rapid test via cell phone

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Styrian chip manufacturer develops first digital Covid-19 antibody rapid test with German company, which does not require a laboratory. In the future, the digital test kit will make it possible to perform a Covid 19 antibody rapid test without an external laboratory. In other words, they will be able to find out whether they have already passed Corona and are immune.

Developed by an interdisciplinary team consisting of German immunologists and Austrian sensor experts, the novel rapid test consists of a small white cassette with the heart, the electronic sensor from Premstätten in Styria.

And this is how it worked
The procedure works like a blood glucose measurement. All that is also needed is a cell phone app and a camera. After taking a sample, which would be feasible in any doctor’s office, for example, an immunological detection reaction takes place. The blood is placed on the illuminated test strip, the camera records a code, and the ams spectral sensor detects the discoloration. Via a Bluetooth interface on a cell phone, the data is sent to a secure cloud with medical data (“medical cloud”). This cloud analyzes the data.

Duration: 15 minutes
It takes just 15 minutes from sampling to the result. The result is then sent to the smartphone. If desired by the user, the results of broad tests can become part of national or international monitoring systems. Protection of sensitive user data is ensured through data encryption, technical data protection measures and other privacy safeguards in accordance with data protection guidelines, both wirelessly and in the cloud, the manufacturers assure.

The test kit can be deployed cost-effectively in doctors’ offices and other decentralized diagnostic (“point-of-care”) settings, the company said in a release earlier this summer when it unveiled the project. In addition, the test is cost-effective and provides an objective result that does not require interpretation by the user, it said.

Checking antibodies
In addition, so-called lateral flow antibody tests can be used to verify the need for vaccination and its effectiveness over time. It is important to know what proportion of the population has antibodies in order to set the right priorities. Thomas Stockmeier, COO of ams AG commented: “This technology is important for the population right now. With fast, accurate point-of-care testing, we hope to enable healthcare professionals to deliver vaccinations faster and more accurately.”