Mask jointly developed by MIT and Harvard University can detect COVID infection in 90 minutes
The need for new technology in detecting Covid virus led to developing a face mask with tiny sensors that can detect the presence of the virus in a person in just 90 minutes.
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FollowIn a major development in detecting Covid virus among the infected population, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University jointly designed a face mask to detect SARS-CoV-2.
As per reports, in this wearable freeze-dried cell-free (wFDCF) technology, if a person is infected or shows symptoms of the Covid-19 virus and wears this mask, in 90 minutes the attached sensors in the mask will alert and establish the presence of the Covid-19 virus. Interestingly only the wearer will get the alert and his/her privacy is guarded.
According to researchers who developed this technology, the mask is fitted with disposable sensors, including a small reservoir of water that is released at the push of a button when the wearer is ready to perform the test. The mask alerts when it comes across any pathogens as soon as a person breathes.
"We have demonstrated that we can freeze-dry a broad range of synthetic biology sensors to detect viral or bacterial nucleic acids, as well as toxic chemicals, including nerve toxins," James Collins, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US was quoted as per reports.
The mask also comes as a great help among first respondents like healthcare workers who have to deal with patients as they get alerts in case they come across any person with the infection.
"This test is as sensitive as the gold standard, highly sensitive PCR tests, but it is as fast as the antigen tests that are used for quick analysis of Covid-19," Peter Nguyen, a research scientist at the Wyss Institute was quoted as saying
Apart from Covid, this technology can be swapped to detect influenza, Ebola and Zika through sensor alerts.
The technology is yet to get a patent.
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