
Breath tester for Covid-19 gets CE approval
Deep Sensing Algorithms in Finland has received a key medical approval for its handheld breath test system for detecting Covid-19 in seconds.
BreathPass is the first rapid Covid-19 test system to receive a CE approval for medical equipment in Europe and is ready for shipment, says Pekka Rissanen, CEO of Deep Sensing Algorithms (DSA) in Tampere.
The handheld tester uses nine nanosensors to detect a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are the metabolic by-products of infection to create a fingerprint that indicates the presence SARS-CoV-2 virus specifically. This produces a result from sample of breath in 45s. The unit is sterilised internally between samples using a UV-C LED at 275 nm to allow re-use in two to three minutes for mass testing with disposable mouthpieces and filters for hygiene. It is powered by a rechargeable 2S lithium ion 18650 cell with protection circuits to provide a 7.2V, 1.5A output, and links to a smartphone via 2.4GHz WiFi for results, over the air updates and sensor regulation and calibration
“We put it together using components from the markets,” said Rissanen. “Our biggest IPR is in the software manipulation of data and corrections and compensations of the readings.”
“We have publicly claimed that we outperform most antigen tests at field use.”
The tester is intended for detecting COVID-19 infection in both asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic people. Due to the early warning nature of the COVID-19 detection, it is suited for screening applications where healthy feeling and asymptomatic people wish to receive assurance of their condition. It ha been tested in trials in Helsinki over the last 18 months.
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