The iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to provide an accurate and efficient method for detecting the COVID-19 virus has received its first overseas order from Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Wednesday.
The order for 100 kits and 10,000 reagents came from Japan Biotechno Pharma and has been approved by the Japanese authorities for sale in the country, effective immediately.
That includes use at small and medium-sized hospitals and clinics, as well as operating and emergency rooms at major hospitals, Chiou Chyou-huey (???), head of the MOEA's Department of Industrial Technology, told a news conference.
Related technology has been transferred to California-based BizLink Holding Inc. for commercial production as part of the ITRI's efforts to explore cooperative opportunities with foreign partners, he noted.
The compact canister weighs only 600 grams and is 57 times lighter than traditional testing devices. It is easy to carry around and has an accuracy rate of 95.8 percent within an hour, a quarter of the time required by existing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, according to the ITRI.
Answering questions from reporters after the news conference, Chiou said the iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System is like a "mobile laboratory" that meets market demand in Japan and is suitable for use at regional hospitals and clinics in the country.
The next step is to target markets in Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S., and talks are ongoing with related countries, he said.
Chiou added that a second-generation iPMx Molecular Rapid Test System is being developed to simultaneously tackle the viruses that cause seasonal flu and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel