Knowledge-based Companies Develop Device for Simultaneous Detection of 20 Virus Types

Technologists from a knowledge-based company have successfully developed a device capable of detecting infectious diseases and various viruses, identifying the virus type in under an hour.

 Alireza Bayat, Technical Director of iFast Company, shared with Mehr News Agency that for the first time in Iran, the company's experts have created a portable device for diagnosing infectious diseases. This device, based on lab-on-a-chip technology, quickly and accurately detects multiple infectious diseases.

Bayat explained that this bedside diagnostic device provides PCR test results in less than an hour. The device’s advantage lies in its personalized testing capability and the lab-on-a-chip technology, which allows PCR results to be obtained in the shortest time.

He further noted that both the DNA purification and DNA amplification steps occur simultaneously on the chip. The device is capable of detecting respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses, identifying 20 virus types, including Alpha, Beta, and Omicron variants of COVID-19, as well as influenza. Additionally, the device can test for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

The product’s development began with the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran, and validation tests for COVID-19 were successfully conducted in 2022. However, following the decline of the pandemic, the device was adapted for detecting other viruses. Currently in the licensing and commercialization phase, the product is expected to reach the market within a year, boasting a detection accuracy of over 90%.

Bayat emphasized that while foreign versions of similar devices exist, they typically take 4 to 5 days to deliver results, whereas this locally produced device provides results much faster. Additionally, the price of this device is at least one-third less than similar American and German models.