Friday, January 11, 2019

Mobile and Affordable Device Offers Fast Viral Detection


Sandia National Laboratories, located in Albuquerque, NM, have released their new and improved SpinDx diagnostic device.

This briefcase-sized device can process raw biological samples in an hour or less by automatically distributing the material into dozens of tiny channels by spinning them off the loading disk. The automatic distribution is the key step in making this device quick in its detection of pathogenic material. Once the samples are inside the channels, they interact with the reagent and will cause a reaction that is detected by the software interface.

However, this spinning process is not new to SpinDx. The latest updated device includes a heating element that allows SpinDx to conduct nucleic acid tests that can identify viruses and bacteria. Contrasted against its previous design that could only perform protein tests to identify antibodies, this heated detection allows users to test immediately for pathogens rather than wait for antibodies to appear.

Overall, SpinDx could be a game-changer for detecting outbreaks. It is affordable, portable, reliable, and fast making it appealing to developing nations that are lacking in their outbreak detection infrastructure. No longer is a well-equipped laboratory with trained technicians required. Plus, with faster detection comes faster treatment which could slow and even stop outbreaks before they blow out of control. It is still yet to be seen how widely distributed SpinDx will be, but it has a promising outlook.

-Mailo Numazu

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