Abu Dhabi: A team of scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi has developed a breakthrough paper-based diagnostic device that can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in under 10 minutes, without the need for sophisticated lab equipment or trained personnel.

According to Emirates News Agency, the Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip), engineered by researchers at the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab), offers a fast, affordable, and portable solution for on-site screening of infectious diseases. The RCP-Chip has been developed to detect even minute traces of viral genetic material using a droplet of fluid and a visible color change.

The device operates without electricity or special equipment, needing just a source of mild heat at around 65°C, similar to the temperature of warm water. The research is detailed in a paper titled “Single-Layer Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip) for Rapid Isothermal Multiplex Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Gene Targets,” published in the journal Advanced Sensor Research. The study reports the development and validation of the RCP-Chip as a rapid, multiplexed diagnostic platform for infectious disease detection suitable for low-resource settings.

NYUAD Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering and senior author Mohammad A. Qasaimeh highlighted the real-world impact of the RCP-Chip, stating that it can be reconfigured to detect other infectious diseases, making it a powerful tool for global health. Pavithra Sukumar, NYUAD Research Assistant and co-first author of the study, emphasized the test’s potential to significantly improve outbreak response by enabling faster isolation, treatment, and control.