Thiruvananthapuram: The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) here has developed a much cheaper and faster diagnostic test kit (Chitra Gene LAMP-N) which is highly confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 that has claimed over 400 lives in the country.
“The test kit can detect the ‘N Gene of SARS COV2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP). We are not aware of anybody else in the world doing lamp for N gene for corona virus, Institute Director,” Dr Asha Kishore said Thursday.
“This technology is much cheaper, faster, can check 100 per cent matching with PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) and accuracy. It will be very easy to deploy it across the country, being very cost effective. “This will be one of world’s first few if not the first confirmatory diagnostic test for N gene of SARS-CoV-2 using the RT-LAMP technique,” added Dr Kishore.
“The test kit which is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene can detect two regions of the gene which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread,” a press release from the institute said.
The institute has informed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) about the test kit and is awaiting approval.
Using Chitra Gene LAMP-N, the gene detection time is 10 minutes and the sample to result time (from RNA extraction in swab to RT LAMP detection time) will be less than two hours. Thirty samples can be tested in a single batch in a single machine, informed Dr Kishore.
The significantly lower machine waiting time will allow large number of samples to be tested each day in a single machine in multiple shifts, she added.
The new device for LAMP testing costs around Rs 2.5 lakh and the test kit for two regions of N gene (including RNA extraction) will be less than Rs 1000/test, while the RT PCR machine costs around Rs 15 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and the PCR kit cost is Rs 1900-2500/test.
PTI