Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and Institute of Aging Medicine have collaborated with Shimadzu Corporation, a precision equipment manufacturer, to develop a test method that can examine the presence or absence of new coronavirus infection from naturally exhaled breath.It is also possible to determine the risk of aggravation by precisely analyzing the exhaled breath, aiming for early commercialization.
According to Tohoku University, the newly developed method liquefies the exhaled breath that the test subject exhaled into the recovery device for about 5 to 10 minutes, and detects viruses and related proteins using a method called exhaled omics (* 1). ..The physical burden on the patient is small, and analysis can be performed in about 1 hour.
The general method for testing the new corona is to search for the sample from the back of the throat or nose with a cotton swab, but this method automates the process of extracting the components, so the risk of infection by medical personnel can be kept low.
Furthermore, it is possible to evaluate not only the presence or absence of new corona infection, but also the stage and condition, determine the risk of aggravation, and predict the prognosis and complications.It can be applied to new viruses other than the new corona, and simultaneous detection of multiple viruses is also possible.It can be used for other infectious disease control even after the end of corona.
Tohoku University and Shimadzu have a policy of putting it into practical use at an early stage and expanding it globally, with a view to applying this method to the diagnosis of cancer and lifestyle-related diseases.
* 1 Technology for comprehensive analysis of biomolecules such as omics metabolites and proteins
