UAE Develops Covid-19 Fast Laser Test Technology

Abu Dhabi, MINA – QuantLase Imaging Lab, a branch of medical research from the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, IHC, announced that has developed new equipment that allows for faster Covid-19 mass testing, with test results available in a matter of seconds and allows testing on a broader scale.

The technology will strengthen the position of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a center of research and innovation, as scientists around the world scramble to create faster testing methods for patients suspected of having been infected with the coronavirus and potentially identifying carriers before they are infected.

The breakthrough will enable ‘large-scale filtering’, changing all the tracking dimensions and speed that can be used to approach the workforce.

Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad bin Nasser Al-Owais, UAE Minister of Health and Prevention, as written statement from the UAE Embassy in Indonesia on Wednesday.

He said his party always follows innovations related to early and rapid detection of Covid-19. The UAE government is interested in initiatives that help the health care system in the UAE.

“Health officials have been closely monitoring the progress of trials with QuantLase to test this equipment. We are proud to see technology that works and that will help protect our team better, “Abdul Rahman said.

Dr. Pramod Kumar as the head of the research team in the laboratory who has studied changes in the structure of infected blood virus cells, explains that equipment using a CMOS detector helps the screening process with greater results available within seconds.

“In fact, our laser-based DPI (Diffractive Phase Interferometry) technique, which is based on optical phase modulation, is able to signal infection within a few seconds. What’s more, this effort is easy to use, non-invasive and low cost, “Kumar said.

According to him, this device is suitable for use not only in hospitals and public places such as cinemas and shopping centers, but with just a little training, it can also be used for internal testing and monitoring.

“We believe it will be a game-changer in dealing with the spread of coronavirus,” Kumar concluded.

In order to explain the important role of artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence or AI), in a diagnostic system, Dr. Kumar said that the sophisticated AI image analysis model successfully predicted the results of each image in terms of precision, speed, and scale.

It is very important in large-scale testing programs, where a large number of images need to be analyzed accurately and efficiently.

The laboratory uses G42, the leading AI and Cloud Computing company, to further enhance the laser program.

Nader Ahmed Al Hammadi, a member of the IHC Board of Directors, commented on the findings.

“The IHC is proud to play a role in contributing to the strong efforts made by the UAE government in combating the Covid-19 outbreak, especially those related to testing and raising awareness,” he said.

Dr. Kumar explained with the first 1,000 tests, his side perfected the experiment and then applied it to the rest of the experiment.

He added the process went through several stages, and the latest was being tested on a large scale, in line with current testing procedures.

Since the declaration of Covid-19 from the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global pandemic in March 2020, scientists have continued to try to develop technologies that will not only reduce diagnosis time, but also allow doctors to concentrate on patients based on needs.

At present it takes several hours to diagnose Covid-19 cases.

According to Dr. Kumar, the laboratory plans to launch a product on the market within a few months.

So far, the engine has produced results with high accuracy in optimal control settings.

“As far as early-stage detection is concerned, our DPI technique is able to detect viruses once blood cells become infected. Our goal is to achieve maximum accuracy, “Kumar said.

Achieving scientific breakthroughs focused on human well-being is one of the pillars of the National Strategy for Advanced Innovations announced by the UAE government since February 2018.

The new strategy also calls for collaboration with leading international institutions and companies that specialize in the field of innovation. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)