Shares in skin analytics company Integumen (SKIN:AIM) surged 18% higher on Thursday to 62.5p following the unveiling of a Covid-19 personalised, real-time breath test.
MICROTOX-BT
Adapting its previously unveiled wastewater test in collaboration with Modern Water (MWG:AIM), Avacta (AVCT:AIM) and Aptamer Group, the group has designed, built and tested a prototype called Microtox-BT, which can analyse the breath and detect the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 in real-time for those carrying a high viral load.
After extensive internal testing, the University of Aberdeen will initiate further testing followed by a joint-trial of up to 5,000 people in parallel with third parties, with results expected before the end of the year.
The company has also incorporated a 24 hour Digital Health Pass that indicates if someone tests positive or negative for infection. Providing a secure date and time stamp and ‘one second’ QR scanners, the pass would enable personalised go/no go entry into venues such as work, social locations, public transport and airports.
Chief executive Gerry Brandon said, ‘The company believes that to enable the economy to re-open fully, the public are going to have to take the responsibility of testing against this virus, themselves.
‘By providing an instant real-time breath test with a digital reader platform, and combined with appropriately priced products, we can drive a consumer-led duty of care for personal Covid-19 responsibility.’
WASTE WATER DETECTION SYSTEM
Integumen also confirmed it had completed the integration of a real-time Covid-19 detector and alert system into Modern Water’s Microtox water contamination system, called Microtox PD.
The anticipated launch for the product is in early 2021 and will be sold through Modern Water’s global distribution platform of over 3,000 installations.
The company has signed a memorandum of understanding for agreements to be concluded for the supply of commercial quantities of binding agents from Avacta and Aptamer group to be used in the next generation sensors.
