Dubbed the “Bubbler” by the Brown University researchers behind the project, the device relies on viral RNA detection to diagnose Covid-19. Its name is derived from the bubbling sound that occurs when the patient exhales into the device.
The Bubbler reverse transcribes RNA from airborne virus particles into DNA which can then be tested via PCR and can also be barcoded to allow samples to be linked directly to individual patients.
It can be used for simultaneous batches of pooled samples and provides additional information such as viral load and strain identity and eliminates the need for stabilising a sample.
“Involvement of the lower respiratory tract is often a precursor to severe Covid-19, so there is an argument for a more direct sampling focused on exhaled breath,” explained lead investigator Professor William G. Fairbrother of Brown University.
While virus detection by the Bubbler is similar to a hospital-swab PCR test the researchers believe it...