Japanese researchers have developed a new patch test to detect Covid antibodies

A noninvasive compact patch that can detect presence of Covid antibodies has been developed by Japanese researchersThe team from the University of Tokyo focused on the interstitial fluid ISF located in the epidermis and dermis layers of human skin to detect the antiCovid IgMIgG antibodiesThe findings published in the journal Scientific Reports showed that the new antibodybased method rapidly and accurately helps in the detection of SARSCoV2The predominant Covid detection method to date collects samples by swabbing the nose and throat However the application of this method is limited by its long detection time 46 hours high cost and requirement for specialised equipment and medical personnel particularly in resourcelimited countriesAn alternative and complementary method for the confirmation of Covid19 infection involves the detection of SARSCoV2specific antibodiesTesting strips based on gold nanoparticles are currently in widespread use for pointofcare testing in many countries They produce sensitive and reliable results within 1020 minutes but they require blood samples collected via a finger prick using a lancing deviceThis is painful and increases the risk of infection or crosscontamination and the used kit components present a potential biohazard riskTo develop a minimally invasive detection assay that would avoid these drawbacks we explored the idea of sampling and testing the ISF Although the antibody levels in the ISF are approximately 1525 per cent of those in blood it was still feasible that antiSARSCoV2 IgMIgG antibodies could be detected and that ISF could act as a direct substitute for blood sampling said lead author Leilei Bao from the Institute of Industrial Science at the varsityAfter demonstrating that ISF could be suitable for antibody detection the researchers developed an innovative approach to both sample and test the ISFFirst we developed biodegradable porous microneedles made of polylactic acid that draws up the ISF from human skin Then we constructed a paperbased immunoassay biosensor for the detection of SARSCoV2specific antibodies Beomjoon Kim senior author saidResults from the lab tests showed that by integrating these two elements the compact patch was capable of onsite detection of the antibodies within 3 minutes Kim saidThis novel detection device has great potential for the rapid screening of Covid19 and many other infectious diseases that are safe and acceptable to patients It holds promise for use in many countries regardless of their wealth which is a key aim for the global management of infectious disease the team saidAlso ReadGet your skin monsoon ready with these expert tipsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever