France creates device to detect Ebola virus within 15 minutes

French scientists said on October 21 that they have just completed a new device that allows for rapid diagnosis of patients suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus within 15 minutes.

Illustration photo. (Source: www.science-et-vie.com)

In a statement, the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) said that tests on the new device were carried out in a standard laboratory and that the breakthrough was of great technological value.

The device works by detecting antibodies in the smallest sample, such as a drop of blood, plasma or urine, from a patient. If the patient tests positive for the Ebola virus, a horizontal bar will appear on the device's screen.

This is the simplest Ebola diagnostic device ever, requiring no additional equipment. Most current Ebola tests take more than 2 hours to produce results and must be performed in a laboratory.

However, the new device has not yet been approved by French health authorities. Vedalab, a European pharmaceutical company, is looking to convert this test kit into a convenient device called Ebola eZYSCREEN.

CEA said its scientists began working on the device in mid-August, when the Ebola virus was raging in West African countries such as Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The scientific breakthrough is part of the French Ministry of Defense's previous Ebola research plan and is part of the agency's Bioterrorism Countermeasures Program.

According to VNA