RT-PCR Analysis: Efficient vortexing
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Great time savings in sample preparation for COVID-19 testing RT-PCR remains the established method for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV 2) testing. However, sample preparation is time-consuming: A swab is used to sample cell material from the mouth-throat area of the test persons. The swab is then placed in an appropriate medium for safe transport to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the cell material is removed from the swab using a vortexer. It takes up to 30 minutes to remove the cell material from the swab. Then the sample is prepared for the PCR. Taking into account that each day, hundreds of patient samples have to be tested for the virus, many laboratories demand a fast and efficient solution. For instance, Ms. Geisler, a senior medical laboratory assistant at the MVZ Laboratory Berlin stated: "At present our laboratory mainly processes samples from patients with a potential COVID-19 infection. About 150 - 250 patient samples arrive daily. In order to remove the cell material from the swabs, they have to be vortexed for about 30 minutes in preparation. Given this high number of samples, I am glad that the Multi Reax allows us to simultaneously process up to 26 samples. This makes sample preparation so much easier for us."
The Multi Reax allows to simultaneously process up to 26 patient samples. This has a significant impact on the number of tests that can be performed per day. |
