Houston Chronicle by Gwendolyn Wu Nov. 19, 2020
New breathalyzer from Texas A&M, Dallas company might detect COVID-19 in a minute or less
Texas A&M researchers and a Dallas artificial intelligence company are developing a rapid COVID-19 test that would use a breathalyzer, rather than a swab, and potentially make it safer to hold large gatherings.
The testing device, housed in a kiosk that can fit in the back of an SUV, could be set up outside of large group settings such as schools, churches and corporate offices. People would step up to the device and with a disposable straw, blow into a copper hole on the front of the kiosk.
The system captures the user’s breath and analyzes it for compounds that a body generates when it’s fighting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19. Users would receive the results within a minute of the test through a mobile app.
“It’s all about establishing a controlled environment where people can interact and have confidence about it,†said Rob Gorham, executive director of SecureAmerica Institute, a network of public institutions and private manufacturing and technology companies based at Texas A&M. “It can create more normalcy around establishing these trusted group settings, whether it be an airplane or a football stadium.â€
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