Singapore - A portable chip the size of a thumbnail has been developed to rapidly detect human strains of influenza viruses including the bird flu, STMicroelectronics and Veredus Laboratories said on Monday. "Unlike existing diagnostic methods, VereFlu is a breakthrough molecular diagnostic test that can detect infection with high accuracy and sensitivity within two hours," said the Franco-Italian chipmaker and Singapore's Veredus Laboratories following a year of research and evaluation trials.
The "lab on chip" provides genetic information about the infection that traditionally would take days to weeks to learn, STMicro's executives said Monday in marking the commercial launch and the setting up of a joint laboratory in Singapore where experts will work on the development of new biomedical applications.
"The diagnostic reliability of this novel device makes it a powerful weapon against future influenza pandemics," said Associate Professor Raymond Lin, head of Microbiology at the National University Hospital, where the trials were successfully conducted.
The chip can identify and differentiate human strains of the influenza A and B viruses, including the Avian Flu or H5N1 strain.
There have been 236 deaths of humans from the bird flu, according to the World Health Organization. Most of the cases have come from contact with infected birds.
The device enables users to accurately and reliably process and analyze minute patient samples of human blood, serum or respiratory swabs on a single disposable chip, the developers said, with the approach reducing time, complexity as well as the risk of cross-contamination inherent in conventional methods.
"VereFlu will enable healthcare professionals to effectively monitor mutations of flu viruses and quickly identify the main strain," said Dr Rosemary Tan, chief executive office of Veredus Laboratories. It can "significantly increase the effectiveness of flu vaccination and reduce public health risks associated with the emergence of a new flu virus."
Future applications include other infectious diseases, oncology and heart-disease markers, ST Micro and Veredus said.
