Project Promises COVID-19 Test Results in 10 Minutes

Imperial College London and UK diagnostics firm Intelligent Fingerprinting have joined forces to develop a simple 10-minute COVID-19 fingerprint test, ideal for use by non-medical staff in care homes and workplaces.

The project will use Intelligent the company’s existing technology – which features highly sensitive lateral flow technology and fluorescence measurement techniques within a portable test reader – to create a ‘point-of-care’ test for quick and safe application. Intelligent Fingerprinting will work with researchers at the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London to validate its testing approach and accelerate development.

A fingerprint-based system could play a significant role in enabling rapid coronavirus testing with the potential to deliver a positive or negative COVID-19 result on-site within just ten minutes. The system is hygienic and non-invasive and by using the sweat from fingerprints rather than nasal or oral fluid samples, there is no hazardous biological waste associated with each test.

“Intelligent Fingerprinting is delighted to be working with researchers at Imperial College London on this important development project,” said the company’s Executive Chairman, Philip Hand. “Bringing together our joint expertise will greatly enhance the potential of delivering this ground-breaking testing solution in a meaningful timeframe.”