Can you get COVID-19 test results in under five minutes?

Oxford researchers have developed a rapid, scalable COVID-19 testing device that could be a boon for getting a handle on the pandemic. Developed by scientists in the Department of Physics, the new testing device can test samples taken directly from patients without any sample preparation and has a high degree of accuracy.

It uses a machine learning-based approach to test for COVID-19, meaning it has low supply requirements and that it can look for actual particles of the virus, rather than antibodies or other signs of the virus which might not mean the testee is an active, transmissible case. And on top of all that, the entire process can be completed in under five minutes.

The researchers say that their device can be miniaturized, so it could be used in places like airports or large events. The team thinks that they can form a spinoff company to produce the device by the end of this year. That company could potentially have a device approved and ready for mass production six months after that. It’s a tight timeline to be sure, but the team thinks it could be doable in this day and age.