Istanbul Gelisim University - Coronavirus diagnosis time can be reduced to 1 minute: They are waiting for support

Coronavirus diagnosis time can be reduced to 1 minute: They are waiting for support

Microbiology Specialist Dr. Asiye Karakullukçu is preparing to develop the biosensor, which can detect the previously developed hospital infections in 1 minute, for the diagnosis of Covid-19. Karakullukçu said: “If we can get the support we need, we can detect the diagnosis of coronavirus in 1 minute with 1 drop of blood. We plan to develop the same sensor and make it ready for use in a very short time.”

Developing a biosensor that can detect the hospital infection that caused thousands of people to die every year in 2017, within minutes, Istanbul Gelisim University (IGU) the School of Health Sciences Asst. Prof. Dr. Asiye Karakullukçu said that they could develop the same sensor for the use in the diagnosis of Covid-19. Karakullukçu stated: “The method used today for diagnosis is based on a swab sample. Our goal here is to develop a biosensor that anyone can easily use, which can measure a person's reaction to Covid-19 with a drop of blood, not a respiratory sample.”

TIME OF DIAGNOSIS WILL REDUCED TO 1 MINUTE

Saying that they can develop a biosensor that can measure the reaction of a person to Covid-19 by using 1 drop of blood instead of a swab sample, Karakullukçu said: “As such, the time of diagnosis will be reduced to 1 minute. No matter how much the curve has decreased, we will still be testing these patients for a long time. We can speed up the process.”

THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS APPLYING TO THE HOSPITAL WILL BE ALSO DECREASED

Noting that the units that could not perform this test could also make the test, Microbiology Specialist Dr. Asiye Karakullukçu said: “Family physicians and all other hospitals can use this. If we get the necessary permits, people can find out whether they are positive or negative without going to the hospital, using it at their own home. We can think of it like glucose meters. We can also reduce visits to the hospital. In testing infected people and the ones already pulled through the disease, we can make it easier for them to quickly identify those people and give blood to sick people.”

SAVING TIME, HUMAN AND COST

Karakullukçu ended her speech as follows:

“It will shorten the time and there will be no need for laboratory infrastructure and specialists. We will be able to detect more people. Nor will it be a very costly test. We have a working prototype and an infrastructure that can quickly turn it into a commercial product within 3 months with support. We expect support from both investors and the government.”