Updated : Tue, May 9, 2023 @ 10:57 AM
We were delighted to attend the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2022 annual meeting, held in Phoenix, Arizona from 1 – 5 November.
It was great to meet so many of our customers at our booth and learn more about the cutting-edge developments being made within the molecular diagnostics field.
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We were also proud to host a workshop with LEX Diagnostics, titled Developing the 5-minute point-of-care PCR test: a technology revolutionising molecular diagnostics. This workshop was bursting with attendees, so for those that couldn’t join, here’s the lowdown of what you missed: |
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The market for point-of-care (POC) tests in urgent care
Flu rapid tests were already a substantial market before COVID-19. LEX Diagnostics' original aim was to bring PCR accuracy to this market.
POC tests need to be easier to use
Many current POC tests require manual swab elution, leading to inconsistencies between users. Having an enclosed cartridge and a fully automated solution is not only easier to handle, but raises the standard of quality.
Figure 1: Schematic of the LEX Diagnostics PCR-based POC solution. The consumable device accepts a nasal swab. Once inserted into the reader, the process of elution, viral lysis, reverse transcription and PCR are performed and the result is displayed on the reader.
Accuracy vs cost
For current POC tests, accuracy has come at a cost. While low-cost antigen tests were critical to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, in healthcare settings patients want PCR accuracy. This extra cost can often be a barrier to access. LEX Diagnostics are aiming to be cost competitive with antigen tests, bringing PCR accuracy at a price much lower than existing PCR tests.
Rapid turnaround improves care
While there are already POC tests on the market that can get a sample to answer in 30 minutes, this isn’t fast enough for a primary care setting where appointments only last around 10 minutes. If the result shows an error message and the patient needs to be re-swabbed, there’s a big advantage to knowing this within 5 minutes, enabling them to be re-swabbed before they leave the building.
Innovation at its core
LEX Diagnostics are optimising their offering on all fronts, including thermal design, consumable cost and reagent performance, to be able to offer PCR accuracy at a low cost.
Watch the presentation (plus more!)
For those that missed it, or would like to see it again, we have made the content of the workshop available to watch online as a webinar.
In addition to the topics above, you’ll hear LEX Diagnostics discuss:
- The design of their low-cost consumables that enable ultra-fast thermal ramping and control.
- Their sample inhibition and sample conditioning strategy.
- How they eliminated pre-PCR clean up.
- Production of lyophilisation-compatible, stable reagents.
- How they partnered with LGC Biosearch Technologies to receive dedicated support from technical specialists to optimise reagents for their cartridge design with scale-up in mind.
- Performance of their reagents at speed with human samples.
Related content
In the meantime, download our case study to learn more about how LEX Diagnostics partnered with Biosearch Technologies to develop a customised RT-PCR master mix suitable for the unique demands of fast, sensitive POC PCR testing.
Also check out the performance of our RapiDxFire Lyo-Flex 1-Step RT-qPCR 5X Master Mix as presented at AMP 2022. Download the poster.
