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CSU Helping Design New, App-Readable Rapid COVID-19 Test

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Three professors at Colorado State University are working on a rapid COVID-19 test. They named it the "rapid on the spot" coronavirus test.

The antigen test was licensed by Balanced Biotech. Preliminary designs would allow a patient to take the test themselves with a nasal swab.

csu rapid test 2
(credit: Colorado State University)

"This fully self-contained device has all the necessary electronics built into it, eliminating the need for a test reader. As a result, the user needs only to download the device app to their phone; the app is then used to scan the device to interpret the results. The app will indicate a positive or negative result, and also indicate if a retest should be done in cases of an uncertain result," CSU and Balanced Biotech stated in a news release.

Scientists behind the product say it will be more sensitive at detecting COVID-19 than other options.

Broad distribution depends on ongoing pre-clinical and early-stage clinical trials.

 

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