Taiwan-based Spirox and Molecular Sensoring Technology (Molsentech) have announced their joint development of a MOSFET-based COVID-19 rapid test system, which is slated for launch at the end of 2020.
Based on ultra-high sensitivity biomedical detection technology, Molsentech's COVID-19 rapid test kit, including a biosensor chip and a test device, can run a rapid test with accurate result in three minutes, even in early stage infection or asymptomatic infection, according to the companies.
The rapid COVID-19 test systems will kick off next-stage clinical trial at Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), and is expected to be launched by year-end 2020, the companies said.
Jack Chen, chairman of Spirox, said, "The launch of COVID-19 Rapid Test System is a success of cross-domain integration of biomedicine and semiconductor industries. In addition to providing the customized test solution Molsentech needs, the relationships and channels Spirox has in the industry make it possible to connect the supply chain and overcome every obstacle Molsentech confronted while releasing this product to mass production, and make this first MOSFET-based COVID-19 rapid test system together."
Molsentech CEO Chia-Jung Chu said Molsentech uses bio-FET and its ultra-high sensitivity to electric charge feature, along with surface modification and probing molecules, to provide the result by reading current signal change.
Besides, there are thousands of test points on every biosensor chip, so micro sample can be tested for over thousands of times simultaneously, Chu said. By analyzing large current signal data, high accuracy test result can be provided. It will be the best solution for COVID-19 early-stage test for it can greatly reduce the time needed to conduct PCR tests, providing the same accuracy as Nucleic acid tests, Chu added.