IIT-Kharagpur develops low-cost, portable Covid-19 testing device

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed a portable tabletop machine that can diagnose coronavirus disease (Covid-19) test within an hour.

The device, named ‘Covirap’, has been validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the researchers are in talks with manufacturers to market the product. With a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 98%, it’s almost as accurate as the gold-standard reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

It makes accurate Covid-19 diagnosis cheap, fast and accessible. The cost of the machine will depend on the level of automation needed, but at the laboratory setting, it cost the team Rs 5,000 to manufacture the machine. The cost of each test will be around Rs 500 to Rs 600.