Handheld DNA Diagnostic Device Enables Rapid Virus Detection

By Chuck Seegert, Ph.D.

In the age of Ebola and other deadly viral diseases, the ability to rapidly diagnose an infection is critical. Now, a team at the University of Otago has developed a device to measure viral DNA levels — a breakthrough that may give healthcare personnel increased freedom and an improved ability to respond.

At remote clinics and border crossing outposts, there is often a need to test for the presence of a viral infection. There is also a need in veterinary practice when there is a great distance to travel between farms. If a diagnosis can be made on site, it would eliminate the need to make a second trip, saving extra time. According to a recent press release, all of these situations are addressed by a new device named Freedom 4 developed by University of Otago researchers.

The device is about the size of a laptop with a battery life of about 6 hours. Running a test takes about an hour and provides accuracy that is equivalent to a laboratory-based test. To get this kind of quality, the Freedom 4 uses a technology called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify target DNA sequences in real time. According to the press release, the device is capable of testing for toxin-producing E. coli, H1N1 virus, and a host of gastrointestinal viruses. Freedom 4 can not only test for the presence of the disease, but also the level of the infection in a sample.

Prototypes of the Freedom 4 device were tested at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental and Scientific Research, where their performance was confirmed. Results can be analyzed with custom software on a laptop or even a smartphone that connects to the system wirelessly.

“We are immensely proud that we have created this brilliant device; there is currently no other system in the world that compares in terms of the analytical power we have achieved at this level of mobility and ease of use,” said Dr. Jo-Ann Stanton, lead researcher on the project, in the press release.

The research was supported by a grant from the New Economy Research Fund, which is designed to support basic research initiated by investigators that could lead to new technologies and generate emerging industry. According to the press release, the team plans to commercialize the technology with the help of a New Zealand company named Ubiquitome. 

Research into low-cost, rapid diagnostics that can be used in the field is an area of medical device research that is rapidly escalating. Recently, a handheld diagnostic device for clinical testing was introduced that is intended for use in developing countries. Additionally, rapid diagnosis of viruses using a new prototype device was recently the subject of an article published on Medical Device Online.