One-Minute COVID-19 Breath Test Developed by One of Israel’s Leading Research University

According to the American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU), BGU President, Prof. Daniel Chamovitz made an announcement last March 12, 2020, urging the university’s COVID-19 Research Task Force to harness the university’s resources and skills to help cope with the Coronavirus Pandemic.

“It is our moral obligation to contribute to coping with this pandemic.”

– Prof. Daniel Chamovitz, President of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU)

The University President said that the outbreak has become an international crisis that affected individuals, families, communities, and countries around the world.

Thus, he said, “I am turning to you, our researchers, to make the coronavirus crisis and its repercussions your top priority, to be creative and practical in order to achieve significant contributions to the national and international challenges that stand before us.”

BGU’s Projects in response to COVID-19

In line with this announcement last March, AABGU revealed on June 1, 2020, that the leading research university has some seventy (70) ongoing projects.

Among the highlights of the said projects is the one-minute “breathalyzer” test that can be used to identify asymptomatic carriers.

The BGU One-Minute COVID-19 Breath Test

What is the BGU COVID-19 Breath Test

Based on the university’s Coronavirus Task Force Project Descriptions and Updates May 2020, here’s how the Coronavirus Breathalyzer works:

The Coronavirus Breathalyzer helps in the immediate detection of COVID-19 asymptomatic carriers.

It offers a fast and easy-to-use testing technique where the patient breathes into a breathalyzer. Afterwhich, the capsule with the chip from the breathalyzer is removed and checked with a spectrometer to detect the presence or absence of the coronavirus.

Development of BGU COVID-19 Breath Test

As of May 5, 2020, according to AABGU, Professor Gabby Saruis was able to develop an electro-optical system that can identify COVID-19 carriers in approximately two minutes.

Furthermore, AABGU reported that the system can provide greater than 95% accuracy at a significantly lower cost per test than existing methods.

Prof. Gabby Sarusi, the developer of the system, is the deputy head of research at BGU’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and RAM-Group Global, a sensor design company based in Germany.

By May 14 and May 20, 2020, two separate reports posted on AABGU’s website revealed that the test developed by Prof. Sarusi can already produce results in under a minute and has a success rate of 90%.

“Right from the beginning of the trials, we received statistically significant results in line with our simulations and PCR tests,” said Prof. Sarusi.

In addition, Prof. Sarusi said that they are continuing clinical trials and will compare samples from COVID-19 patients with samples from patients with other diseases to see if they can identify the different stages of the COVID-19 infection.

 

SOURCES

American Associates Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, May 5, 2020

American Associates Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, May 14, 2020

American Associates Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, May 20, 2020

AABGU BGU COVID-19 Response Effort

AABGU BGU Coronavirus Task Force Project Descriptions and Updates