The Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi (IIT Delhi) on Friday launched a rapid diagnostic kit for conducting Covid-19 test at a price point of Rs 50 a piece.
Authorities and researchers claimed that this will boost testing in rural India given its affordability, easy to use and effectiveness in temperature as high as 35 degree to 37 degree Celsius.
The kit developed by centre for biomedical engineering at the IIT Delhi has been approved by the Indian Council of Medial Research (ICMR). The test kit has been licensed to Delhi-based Dia Sure Immunodiagnostic LLP for mass manufacturing and marketing.
The kit, perhaps the cheapest in the market, is a “colloidal gold enhanced double antibody sandwich immunoassay for the qualitative determination of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in human nasal swabs, throat swabs and deep sputum samples. It is suitable for general population screening and diagnosis of COVID-19.”
Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre, who launched the ‘Rapid Antigen Test’ kit, said the kit will boost testing across the country, especially in rural India.
