A robotic testing platform developed in nine days by the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) could substantially increase the UK’s capacity to test people for coronavirus.
A research team led by Prof Paul Freemont from the UK DRI Care Research & Technology centre developed the platform by repurposing high-throughput, robotic technology usually used to test for infections in vulnerable people such as those living with dementia.
Currently, around 10,000 tests for coronavirus are being done each day in the UK, with the government aiming to increase this to 100,000 per day by the end of April.
Each of the robotic modules developed has the capability to process almost 1,000 coronavirus samples in a 12-hour period.
The system employs the same test being used by the NHS, but is able to process many more samples at once and, unlike other systems, can use a range of different reagents.
The platform is being accredited and approved, and last week began testing samples at two NHS hospitals in London, which have one robotic module each.
Having successfully completed validation on 251 real-life samples in blind testing, the platform began testing patient samples on Monday 6 April.
It is now ready to be rolled out on a much larger scale, for which the UK DRI said it is now looking for support.
Current tests being used for coronavirus take samples from patients and amplify tiny amounts of virus RNA if they are present, in a process known as a Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Following a UK government call for means to increase the number of tests that can be performed, Prof Freemont and the London Biofoundry facility, which he co-directs, set about repurposing their robotic RNA extraction equipment to significantly scale up this process and contribute to the needs of the UK.
Unlike majority of testing equipment worldwide, the new platform is not reliant on specific reagent suppliers. This means it is more resilient, as different test kits can be used on the same platform.
Prof Freemont, group leader at the UK DRI’s Care Research and Technology Centre at Imperial College London and University of Surrey, said: “Getting a platform like this up and running isn’t straightforward – there are a lot of things to account for that could be the difference between success and failure, like the reliability of supply chains for sample kits, reagents and other essential equipment.
“We have been diversifying and stress-testing a range of supply lines to make sure our platform can be used to its fullest capacity.
“Importantly, working with Myra McClure’s molecular diagnostic unit on the St. Mary’s Campus of Imperial College, and Paul Randell from North West London Pathology, we were able to validate the whole process from receipt of clinical samples in their containment facility to the final virus ‘detected’ or ‘not detected’ result.
“The great thing about a modular platform is that it can be easily scaled up and put to use in more sites. It takes little space and needs only one trained person to operate it, meaning social distancing isn’t an issue.”
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