Business Daily Media

Men's Weekly

.

PolyU develops ultrasensitive and portable detection sensor for rapid, easy and low-cost COVID-19 antibody test

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach - 26 May 2022 - As the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for over two years, a fast and accurate antibody detection method can help assess the antibody content of the human body, as well as provide reference data for healthcare departments to formulate appropriate vaccination measures.

In the long run, the antibody content data can also contribute to epidemiological studies and vaccine development. In view of this, a research team from the Department of Applied Physics of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has successfully developed an ultrasensitive and portable COVID-19 antibody detection sensor based on organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) technology. Fast and easy-to-use, the sensor is designed for testing the antibody levels of people who have either received vaccination or have been infected with the virus.

1.jpg
A research team from the Department of Applied Physics of PolyU has successfully developed an ultrasensitive and portable COVID-19 antibody detection sensor. Present at the press conference were Professor Feng YAN (left), Professor of the Department of Applied Physics, PolyU; and Dr Helen LAW (right), Associate Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, PolyU.

Currently, the detection of SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) is based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing of serum samples. Such testing requires the use of bulky medical equipment and can only be performed in hospitals or specialised testing laboratories. It takes about two days to acquire the test results and the cost is high. There is an alternative rapid method based on lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) testing. However, the sensitivity of this method is lower and incapable of showing the actual level of antibody content.

2.jpg
The COVID-19 antibody detection sensor developed by the PolyU research team comes with an array of advantages – it is highly sensitive, portable, rapid, easy-to-use and low-cost.

The COVID-19 antibody detection sensor developed by the PolyU research team comes with an array of advantages – it is highly sensitive, portable, rapid, easy-to-use and low-cost. The testing procedure is very simple. First, turn on the sensor and connect it to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. Then, drop 10uL of a saliva (or serum) sample on the transistor test area to allow the antibody-antigen reaction. Wait for five minutes, then extract the saliva sample and add an electrolyte drop on the test area. Press the button on the smartphone app to start the test. After about 20 seconds, the app will display the antibody content level of the saliva sample.

The whole detection process takes less than six minutes and the cost per test is only about HK$10.

The antibody detection sensor can test the concentration of antibodies from lower than 10fM to higher than 100nM. The detection limit satisfies the needs of exquisite analytical sensitivity for saliva.

Principal Investigator of the study, Professor Feng YAN, Professor of the Department of Applied Physics at PolyU, said, “Our research team developed a novel technology by applying voltage pulses on the gate of the sliced transistor to accelerate the incubation process resulting in a significant decrease in the overall detection time. Since the detection process is non-invasive, using only saliva instead of blood, self-sampling is highly possible. Moreover, the operation and result reading are very simple with the use of a smartphone, and hence the sensor is suitable for instant detection and large-scale screening scenarios.”

The next plan of the research team is to apply for funding for clinical studies in collaboration with different medical and testing institutions. The research team expects that the novel device can be commercialised as soon as practicable and applied for antibody detection of other viruses, helping to fight diseases and making contributions to epidemiological studies and vaccine development.

#PolyU

News from Asia

Japan’s Genre-Defying Creative Mixed Media Unit NIKO NIKO TAN TAN to Perform at Japan Expo Paris 2025

PARIS, FRANCE - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - NIKO NIKO TAN TAN, the creative mixed media musical unit that transcends genres with their blend of music, visuals, and art, just performed ...

Eid al-Adha in 2025: Octa broker's charity projects

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - Each year, Octa, a globally regulated and trusted broker since 2011, supports local communities in various regions through charity ...

AIA Hosts Healthcare Financing Summit To Foster Cross-Sector Collaborative Solutions for Hong Kong’s Healthcare Sustainable Future

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - AIA Hong Kong & Macau (AIA) hosted the inaugural Healthcare Financing Summit (the Summit) as an active step towards fostering cross-sect...

"Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) National Bookshelf" Gets an Upgrade, with Four New Renowned University Sites

QINGDAO, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 – The 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) National Publishing Industry Conference, successfully hosted by Qingdao Publishing Group, ...

Chubb Life Hong Kong Wins Five Awards at Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition "Financial Institutions 2025"

Celebrated for pioneering first-in-market features and integrated campaigns that reshape how Hong Kong plans for protection and legacy HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - Chubb...

Wishpro Launches Advanced Magnetic Infusion Technology for Smarter Skin Management

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 – Wishpro uses patented Magnetic Infusion Technology (MIT) to support deeper delivery of oil-based active ingredients. Designed to no...

MiLi Gears Up for Amazon Prime Day with Exclusive Deals on the MiTag Duo & LiTag Duo for Travel Gadgets Up To 30% Off

SHENZHEN, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - MiLi is kicking off its biggest summer sale for Prime Day, July 8–11, with major discounts on all Bluetooth trackers...

The "Mystic Mountains and Rivers · Pursuing Dreams in Guizhou" Online Communication Special Event Makes Its Way to Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 July 2025 - On July 4th, the "Mystic Mountains and Rivers · Pursuing Dreams in Guizhou" Online Communication Special Event was held in Kuala Lu...

Winners Announced at CoolThink@JC Competition 2025

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 July 2025 - The grand final of the ninth CoolThink@JC Competition, which encourages primary school students to leverage digital creativity to solve eve...

Angolan Diamond Leaders Endiama and Sodiam Join the Natural Diamond Council. De Beers Group Commits Additional Investment to Jointly Promote the Natural Diamond Industry.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 July 2025 - Angola's two leading state-owned diamond institutions, ENDIAMA E.P. and SODIAM E.P., have formally announced their joint commitment to gener...

Why Apptio is Enhancing Visibility into AI and Hybrid Cloud

AI investments have become a strategic priority for business with the mindset that if you're not using AI, you're falling behind. But according to...

Beyond borders: Building a scalable strategy for international hiring

For many Australian businesses, growth increasingly depends on thinking beyond local borders.  As wage pressures rise, and specialised talent pool...

The Next Generation of Maritime Sustainable Solutions

As organizations globally seek innovative ways to improve sustainability and their impact on Earth, the American Waterways Operators (AWO), a lead...

Demand for Home Batteries surges as Federal Rebate Kicks In

A leading provider of energy solutions VoltX Energy has seen a 400% increase in demand for home batteries in the past three weeks as people put d...

Why Sport Remains the Safest Bet in an Uncertain World

When Rome was in crisis, its leaders did not retreat to the Senate. They went to the circus. To the chariot races. To the gladiators. Sport was no...

THE FINE LINE WITHIN HILARIOUS SIGNAGE DESIGN FAILS

It seems like design failures still occur in today’s modern branding era, despite rigorous rounds of approvals behind the scenes. One signage show...

Sell by LayBy