Spanish researchers in Andalucia design device to detect Coronavirus on surfaces to combat the spread of Covid-19

Spanish researchers in Andalucia design device to detect Coronavirus on surfaces to combat the spread of Covid-19

A GROUP of Andalucian researchers will receive funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation to design a device capable of detecting coronavirus deposited on surfaces of different materials, by using optical technologies combined with Artificial Intelligence.

The Carlos III Health Institute, under the Ministry of Science and Innovation, has agreed to finance with a half a million euros the research of a prototype that allows rapid and non-contact analysis of surfaces contaminated by coronavirus and SARS.

The objective of the new project is to develop a portable prototype that would combine image reading systems and Artificial Intelligence.

This would allow a quick and non-contact analysis of contaminated areas by generating distribution maps of these images in the field of view captured by the device.

The device would be a breakthrough in terms of having methods that help cleaning and decontaminating medical devices and facilities and reducing contact contagion.

This research does not contemplate tests on patients nor will it interfere with the clinical, diagnostic or treatment procedures of the Covid-19, since it will focus on taking sample images in areas contaminated by the virus and in clean areas.

The greatest difficulties of the project, which entails a great scientific and technological challenge, lie in the lack of information available about the virus.

According to the scientists involved in this project, in just three months the first results could begin to be obtained, although the research is planned with a horizon of about eight months.

The group of researchers will openly publish the scientific results obtained during the course of the research, as well as the designs and devices that are developed, to enable their use and improvement by the international community.