Immediate COVID-19 Diagnosis Through Breathalyzer-Style Test

Immediate COVID-19 Diagnosis Through Breathalyzer-Style Test

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed an innovative device that facilitates rapid COVID-19 diagnosis. Dr. Benjamin Sumlin, a distinguished scientist at the institution, demonstrates the functionality of this biosensor-based breath test, which has the potential to be employed in medical practices for swift identification of COVID-19 infections. Photo courtesy: Chakrabarty lab/Washington University

A quick-acting breath test for COVID-19, which incorporates nanobodies sourced from llamas, can yield results within a mere minute.

This novel diagnostic method, requiring only a single breath or two, has been designed by the scientific team at Washington University in St. Louis to swiftly detect individuals carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results are available almost instantaneously, within less than 60 seconds.

The findings of this research are accessible online in the scientific journal ACS Sensors. Previously, the same group also published a study in Nature Communications, detailing an air monitoring system capable of detecting airborne SARS-CoV-2 in public spaces like hospitals and schools within an approximate time of five minutes.

Applications of the Breath Test

The newly developed breath test holds potential for usage in healthcare settings to expedite the diagnosis of COVID-19 infections. Should future variants of COVID-19 or other air-borne diseases emerge, the device could also serve as a screening mechanism at public gatherings. According to the researchers, the test could significantly contribute to controlling outbreaks in densely populated settings—such as naval ships, retirement homes, educational dormitories, and military installations.

“As opposed to nasal swab tests that require a 15-minute wait for outcomes, our test is virtually instantaneous,” said Dr. Rajan K. Chakrabarty, the Harold D. Jolley Career Development Associate Professor of Energy, Environment & Chemical Engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering. “An individual simply exhales into a receptacle in the apparatus, and an electrochemical biosensor ascertains the presence or absence of the virus. The result is obtainable within a minute.”

Underlying Technology

The biosensor technology, repurposed from a technology originally developed for Alzheimer’s research at Washington University School of Medicine, is used to detect amyloid beta and other related proteins in murine brains. Professors John R. Cirrito and Carla M. Yuede, who are also co-authors of this study, employed a llama-derived nanobody to identify the COVID-19 virus.

Both Dr. Chakrabarty and Dr. Cirrito believe that the test could be adapted to detect multiple viruses concurrently, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). They are also confident that a biodetector for any newly emerging pathogen could be developed within two weeks once samples are obtained.

“The technology is comparable to a conventional breathalyzer test, and offers a more practical solution than 15-minute nasal swab tests, especially in high-security or high-traffic environments,” added Dr. Cirrito.

Developmental Progress

Funded initially by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in August 2020, the team has conducted extensive laboratory and clinical tests through Washington University’s Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit. The breath test has thus far produced no false negatives and has been validated to give accurate results with as few as two breaths from the tested individuals. Clinical trials are in progress to further refine and validate the device.

Strain Sensitivity and Procedure

In their experiments, the team was able to detect multiple strains of the virus, including the initial and omicron variants. To administer the test, a straw is inserted into the device. The patient exhales into the straw, allowing aerosols to gather on an internal biosensor. The device is then connected to a reading machine that interprets the biosensor signals, delivering a diagnosis in less than a minute.

Future Implications

Ongoing clinical studies are set to expand the device’s application beyond Washington University’s Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Unit. Y2X Life Sciences, a company based in New York, holds an exclusive option to commercialize the technology and has been in consultation with the research team throughout the development phase.

Reference:
“Rapid Direct Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosols in Exhaled Breath at the Point of Care” by a collaborative team led by Dishit P. Ghumra, Nishit Shetty, Kevin R. McBrearty et al., published on 27 July 2023, ACS Sensors. DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c00512

Funding for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RADx-Rad program, under grant numbers U01 AA029331 and U01 AA029331-S1. Additional financial support came from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and the NIH SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) Program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about rapid breath test for COVID-19

More about rapid breath test for COVID-19

• Washington University’s Official Publication on the Breath Test
• Journal ACS Sensors Study
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Information
• Previous Research on Airborne SARS-CoV-2 Detection
• Information on Biosensor Technologies
• Y2X Life Sciences Company Profile