IIT Delhi Launches Rapid Antigen Test Kit Priced At Rs 50: COVID-19

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has come up with a rapid antigen test kit for Covid which is priced at Rs 50 and gives results within five minutes.

The ICMR approved test kit was launched by Union Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre on Friday. "I am confident that this technology will revolutionize the Covid test availability in the country. I am glad to know that the kit has been developed entirely using the internal resources at IIT-Delhi," Dhotre said during the launch.

The technology behind the test has been patented by IIT-Delhi. Professor Harpal Singh and his team from the Centre for Biomedical Engineering at the institute have developed the technology. "This kit is used for in vitro qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen meant for the qualitative determination in human nasal swabs, throat swabs and deep sputum samples. It is suitable for general population screening and diagnosis of COVID-19,” Singh said. "The identification is based on the monoclonal antibodies specific for the Coronavirus antigen. The results obtained are qualitative based and can be inferred visually with the naked eye," he said.

The professor explained that the test is found to be suitable for early Ct values (Ct values between 14 to 32) with 90 percent sensitivity, 100 percent specificity and 98.99 pc accuracy. The IIT has awarded licenses to two companies in the country for its commercial rollout.

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