MAScIR DEVELOPS A DEVICE FOR REAL-TIME, REAGENT-FREE SCREENING OF COVID-19 NEGATIVE CASES

Backed by its large experience in the development of real-time, reagent-free microelectronic analysis devices, a disruptive and cutting-edge technology, the MAScIR Foundation’s “Digitalization & Intelligent Microelectronic Devices” center has received several international awards. Following the example of all the MAScIR Foundation’s centers, this center has striven, since the beginning of the global health crisis due to SARS-CoV-2, to expand the arsenal of solutions allowing to reduce the health risk by reinforcing prevention. In this context, the center has developed an electronic, miniaturized, portable and connected device based on near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) technology coupled with embedded artificial intelligence models, which can detect the absence of Covid-19 in a nasopharyngeal sample in less than 20 seconds.

Once finalized, the device was tested at the laboratory level with the support of the Military Hospital of Rabat and the Pasteur Institute of Casablanca. MAScIR registered a patent in September 2020 and then submitted the device for validation to the Laboratory for Research and Medical Analysis of the Royal Gendarmerie – LRAM, which evaluated its performance in accordance with the NF EN ISO 15189: 2012 standard.

This evaluation involved 585 samples and showed a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 70%. This evaluation was the subject of a report on the performance of the « Rapid Covid-19 IR »  method prepared by the LRAM experts.

The first prototype of the « Rapid Covid-19 IR » test, fulfilling all the performance criteria necessary for the screening of SARS-CoV-2 negative cases in nasopharyngeal biological samples.

Following the review of the technical file and the evaluation report drawn up by LRAM, the Directorate of Medicines and Pharmacy (DMP) affirmed that this device has the advantage of being used for this type of screening.

The “Rapid Covid-19 IR” was developed to ensure large-scale screening and to help increase overall screening capacity and support the gradual recovery of economic activity. This portable and miniaturized device offers several advantages, such as: the absence of reagents or specific preparation for the test and the ability to obtain the result on a smartphone in less than 20 seconds.

Several devices have been deployed for the past two months at the Azura Group sites. The “Rapid Covid-19 IR” developed by the Foundation helped this leading agricultural player to screen its employees on a daily basis in order to guarantee health safety at all its sites and ensure the continuity of its activity.