Get to know Genose, a covid detection tool

Read all articles about coronavirus (COVID-19) here.

Gadjah Mada University scientists developed technology that can detect COVID-19 quickly through a tool called GeNose. This tool is claimed to be able to detect whether someone is infected with COVID-19 through a breath.

The device now has a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health and is ready to be marketed. How does this tool work? Can GeNose become the standard for diagnosing COVID-19 infection? How does this tool work?

How does GeNose detect the corona virus infection that causes COVID-19?

GeNose is a technology that suppresses the presence of COVID-19 in the human breath. This tool was made by UGM scientists from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MIPA) UGM in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and Public Health and Nursing (FKKMK).

The examination is carried out by asking the patient to exhale into a special tube (rebreathing mask) to catch my breath. The breath that has been accommodated is then connected to the GeNose device through a tube.

GeNose sensors will detect the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 that is carried by breath and analyze it with technology artificial intelligence (AI) or artificial intelligence.

The lead researcher, Kuwat Triyana, explained that when a part of the human body is infected with a virus, it will produce an organic compound called Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). This organic compound is said to be so specific that when a person breathes, the GeNose sensor can respond to it by forming a very distinctive pattern.

The distinctive patterns are then analyzed by the AI ​​to determine whether the person is infected with COVID-19 or not.

"Previously it took about 3 minutes, but the last time we conducted a test at BIN (State Intelligence Agency) it turned out to be accelerated to 80 seconds," said Kuwat.

Profiling pilot project and GeNose validation has been carried out in the isolation room of the Yogyakarta Regional Police Bhayangkara Hospital. This clinical trial was conducted on 615 breath samples from 83 patients. The result is known that 43 people were confirmed positive and 40 people were negative.

"80 percent of the people who are confirmed positive are asymptomatic and those who are negative also do not have any symptoms similar to COVID-19. This means that this tool can distinguish which people are positive for COVID-19 even though they have no symptoms, "said dr. Dian Kesumapramudya Nurputra, one of the research team.

For further clinical trials, UGM has received full support from the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Research and Innovation Agency (Kemenristek / BRIN).

UGM handed over the GeNose COVID-19 detection tool technology to the Ministry of Research and Technology / National Agency for Research and Innovation on Thursday (24/9).

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GeNose clinical trial preparation

The second phase of clinical trials was carried out on 2,000 patients in 9 hospitals that have collaborated with UGM.

To be able to validate the accuracy of this machine there must be a diagnostic test or clinical trial. Patients who participated in the COVID-19 detection test with GeNose were also subjected to a RT-PCR molecular test (swab) to see its accuracy.

RT-PCR stands for real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction, that is, a test performed by taking a sample from a swab of the mucous membrane of the nose or throat. Currently the PCR swab test is the most accurate way of diagnosing COVID-19.

Hospitals that will collaborate in this diagnostic test include:

1. RSUP Dr. Sardjito
2. RSPAU Hardjolukito Yogyakarta
3. Bhayangkara Hospital TK III Polda DI Yogyakarta
4. RSLKC Bambanglipuro, Bantul
5. RST Dr. Soedjono Magelang
6. Bhayangkara Hospital TK I Raden Said Soekanto, Jakarta
7. UGM Academic Hospital
8. Saiful Anwar Hospital, Malang
9. Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital (still in confirmation)
10. Soeradji Tirtonegoro Hospital, Klaten (still in confirmation)

The COVID-19 detector now has a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health.

"Alhamdulillah, thanks to the prayers and extraordinary support from many parties, GeNose C19 officially obtained a distribution permit (KEMENKES RI AKD 20401022883) to start getting recognition by regulators, namely the Ministry of Health, in helping to handle Covid-19 through rapid screening," Kuwat said via press releases cited hellosehat.com from UGM official website, Saturday (26/12).

Currently there are 100 units of GeNose ready to be marketed with a target of 120 tests per day. That means this tool can help screen up to 12 thousand people per day for COVID-19. Kuwat hopes that the distribution of this tool can be right on target, for example used at airports, train stations, and other crowded places including hospitals and BNPB which can mobile approachingsuspect Covid-19.

Kuwat also explained that later the test fee with the GeNose C19 will only be around IDR 15-25 thousand. Apart from being cheaper, this tool also produces test results in just 2 minutes, does not require reagents or other chemicals, and is more convenient.