Examin COVID-19 Breathalyser Development
EXAMIN (QLD)
COVID-19 Breathalyser: On-site diagnostic testing for real-time response and management to COVID-19 Infection. AMGC announces commercialisation of a COVID-19 breathalyser test using a novel electrochemical biosensor that detects viral load at a molecular level with early studies indicating a sensitivity and specificity of 97%-98%.
The latest round of 24 co-invested projects announced via the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre managed Commercialisation Fund will see Australia’s manufacturing industry contribute over $32.4 million in funding alongside the Federal Government’s $9.03 million to drive commercialisation of world-leading Australian-made products. Queensland based point-of-care diagnostic testing company, Examin is one of 24 companies backed in 2022. The Australian Federal Government has provided Examin Holdings with co-investment funds to support the venture as it looks to seek regulatory approval.
Examin Holdings, co-founded by Colin Hickey and Steve Skeen, has secured an exclusive licence to the IP of a core detection technology developed by the University of Utah. The Examin Breathalyser utilises a modification of the original airborne virus detection technology developed. The Examin device is powered by this novel electrochemical biosensor, detecting COVID-19 viral loads at a molecular level with early studies indicating a sensitivity and specificity of 97-98%. The handheld device functions similar to a road-side alcohol breathalyser test enabling those requiring a COVID-19 test to receive results in under 2-minutes without requiring invasive throat or nasal swabs. The device can be used thousands of times by operators with the mouthpiece being disposed of and replaced after each individual test.
The co-founders and team are working with a number of partners (D+I, University of Utah, Safework Laboratories & Romar Engineering) around the world on the development of a cost effective and highly accurate device designed for mass screening, with plans for mass production and global distribution.
Overview - How it works:
1. Users blow into the device's disposable mouthpiece for five seconds. Exhaled air is filtered via a specialised membrane before exiting the underside of the disposable mouthpiece and returning to the room.
2. The novel electrochemical biosensor technology embedded within the device processes the breath sample detecting viral load at a molecular level.
3. In under 2-minutes the device returns a test result which is obtained by users by scanning the QR code on the device display.
The technology behind the device appears to be highly adaptable with future applications already being considered — able to be easily calibrated to detect ongoing virus mutations or new pandemic viruses.
Australian innovation with the potential to be a complete game changer to the way testing is performed - providing results in minutes at the point of care.
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