BioTeke, a company based in China, has developed a robot capable of conducting the entire Covid-19 testing process with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that this testing robot was unveiled for the first time at the World Robot Conference 2022 in Beijing last week. It is designed like a vending machine and delivers accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results without the need for a laboratory.
BioTeke’s “one-stop” Covid-19 testing robot introduced at the World Robot Conference 2022. (Photo: SCMP)
According to BioTeke, the robot can provide test results for 80 individuals within 45 minutes, significantly faster than traditional methods. It can handle samples from up to 320 people simultaneously.
While there are other Covid-19 testing robots on the market, most of them only perform sample collection. Afterward, the samples are sent to laboratories for analysis, and people often have to wait over 12 hours for results.
Engineer Meng from BioTeke stated: “This new robot is a ‘one-stop’ solution as it performs the testing independently.” The robot contains various modules for sampling, extraction, purification, detection, and result analysis.
All components are interconnected like the displays inside a vending machine. The sample collection module for throat swabs was developed by BioTeke in collaboration with a research center at Tsinghua University’s Institute of Artificial Intelligence.
“Researchers built a model of the human oral cavity and developed a high-precision image recognition algorithm for a robotic arm. That arm will autonomously move and gently insert a swab into the throat of the person being tested,” Engineer Meng explained further.
After collection, the nucleic acid in the sample will be purified and amplified. To achieve this, the robot mimics laboratory processes, with a robotic arm moving the sample tubes to the necessary locations. When the tubes are transferred to the analysis module, the machine will record the analysis results and then process the waste.
Mr. Meng mentioned that the modular design of the robot also makes repairs easier. This robot is offered at a very competitive price, as it can reduce labor and transportation costs.
BioTeke is seeking government approval in China to deploy this robot widely.
Such testing robots will be particularly useful at airports, train stations, and public areas where immediate Covid-19 test results are required.
“At this stage, epidemic prevention efforts are mainly focused on mass screening in the community. The robot can be used as an affordable rapid screening method,” Mr. Meng stated.
This engineer at BioTeke expressed hope that if deployed on a large scale, the robot will help ease the workload of healthcare workers in China. This workforce has been overwhelmed by the regular Covid-19 testing for a population of 1.4 billion since the pandemic began in late 2019.
On August 23, the National Health Commission of China (NHC) reported that mainland China recorded 1,748 new cases of Covid-19. No new deaths were reported. Hainan Province is currently the hotspot for Covid-19 in China.
