COVID-19 Self-test kits (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – In a breakthrough that could revolutionize infectious disease testing, South Korean researchers have developed the world’s first platform capable of detecting COVID-19 infection through tears, with a reported sensitivity of approximately 99%.
The innovative technology, announced on September 26 by Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, was developed by a team led by Han Jisang.
The research collaboration included professors Moon Sang Woong from Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Choi Samjin from Kyung Hee University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Jung Ho Sang from the Korea Institute of Materials Science.
This novel approach combines surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology with artificial intelligence deep learning.
SERS technology amplifies the unique “Raman signals” of substances by more than 100 million times when a sample is placed on the surface of precious metals like gold, silver, or copper and then irradiated with a laser from a Raman spectrometer.
“While there have been instances in which Raman scattering technology was used to diagnose diseases, this is the first time it has been coupled with AI deep learning for analysis,” Choi explained.
The application of this technology to COVID-19 detection marks another world first. In a trial involving 12 COVID-19 patients, the platform detected infection with 98.5% sensitivity in just two minutes by identifying minute chemical changes in tear samples.
“This non-invasive method allows for quick and accurate infection detection without the need for procedures like nasal swabs,” Han said. He added that upon commercialization, this technology could potentially be applied to diagnose a wide range of diseases beyond infectious illnesses.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
