Lifecare and Digital Diagnostics – New 5 minute coronavirus test delivers clear results on infection

Lifecare AS (LIFE-ME) has a 25% ownership in Digital Diagnostics AG, who is nowdeveloping a New 5 minute coronavirus test which delivers clear results oninfection.Lifecare AS has previously established a joint venture with Digital DiagnosticsAG in Germany. Digital Diagnostics (DD) will finance the remaining costs ofcompleting the development of Lifecare’s implantable continuous glucose sensornamed Sencell. In return, Lifecare AS will give Digital Diagnostics AG anon-exclusive and non-competitive license agreement for use Lifecare AS’technology. Lifecare AS keeps all its rights to its existing IP and has fullaccess to future IP. Digital Diagnostics will explore how Lifecare’s technology can be used outsidethe field of glucose monitoring and data collection, such as in e-health, bigdata and lifestyle technologies. Additional technological development by Digital Diagnostics AG has the goal torapidly develop a new type of sensor device that can be used for immediate testsfor the new SARS coronavirus. In comparison to currently available rapid tests,the SARS-CoV-2 MEMS 5 Minute Test™ directly detects the virus over the entirecourse of the infection and can be read immediately, without the need for alaboratory.The SARS-CoV-2 MEMS 5 Minute Test™ is created as a pocket size lab and can beused in four steps anywhere on site by general practitioners, paramedics andnursing staff without any training. The SARS-CoV-2 MEMS 5 Minute Test™ providestest results with greater accuracy at any point during the course of theinfection than previously available rapid test strips. The first prototypes ofthe biosensor will be available in May 2020. Compared to previously known rapid tests looking for the presence of antibodiesin the test-liquid, the SARS-CoV-2 MEMS 5 Minute Test™ leads to a clear “YES” or“NO” result regarding the presence of the actual virus in the test fluid andeliminates the time- and cost consuming transport of samples to a laboratory.The new digital diagnostic platform enables the rapid testing of millions ofpeople and real-time monitoring of the disease spreading. By connecting thedigital sensor to a secure, encrypted analytics platform, regional viralhotspots can be detected in real-time and immediately contained.Faster and more accurate than other rapid tests.The results of the SARS-CoV-2 MEMS 5 Minute Test™ can give a clear “YES” or “NO”statement about the presence of the virus in the test fluid. The great advantageof this method is that the virus can be detected directly — with a very highaccuracy. In contrast, all other rapid tests known to date are based on thedetection of antibodies. But antibodies are not detectable in plasma until 7 to10 days after infection. However, those infected are already infectious in thefirst week of contact, which is one of the reasons for the rapid spread of thepandemic in all countries. There is currently no other reliable, cost-effectiverapid test that can measure the virus directly in near-real time and at a veryearly stage during the incubation phase.Link to the complete press release by Digital Diagnostics can be found at“Lifecare.no”:https://www.lifecare.attme.dev/blog/lifecare-and-digital-diagnostics-is-now-developing-a-new-5-minute-coronavirus-test