EKF Diagnostics has added a novel viral transport media for the safe sample handling and testing of multiple infectious diseases from a single swab to its product range.
PrimeStore MTM (Molecular Transport Medium) is an FDA cleared and CE IVD marked sample collection device which deactivates viruses, including COVID-19, flu A, flu B, HIV and TB. Already proven in the US market, the fully-patented device ensures transportation and workplace safety for disease testing programmes, greatly reducing the risk of infection to health workers, couriers, and lab technicians.
Traditional viral transport media (VTM) were designed for transporting live samples to be cultured and also contain ingredients that inhibit optimal molecular testing. Modern molecular tests, requiring only intact microbial nucleic acids rather than a viable virus, is now widely available with improved performance and turnaround times compared to traditional microbiology testing. Indeed, most currently-approved tests for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases are nucleic acid-based molecular assays, removing the need for and risk of live pathogen transportation for routine testing.
Designed and optimised for molecular testing, PrimeStore MTM is an FDA class 2 cleared sample collection and transportation device that effectively kills viral and bacterial pathogens whilst preserving and stabilising the released DNA and RNA. It supports many downstream molecular applications, including qPCR and next-generation sequencing. The sample can be safely stored at ambient temperature for up to seven days and re-used several times. As well as reducing the risks of handling live pathogenic samples, this also cuts the cost of cold chain requirement and need for Category 3 facilities, as testing can take place outside of containment.
Multiple tests can be processed from one sample swab – for example, a single sample that has been inactivated and stabilised can be tested for both COVID-19 and influenza. This can assist with disease differentiation at reduced costs.
Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics, said: “PrimeStore MTM is a real game-changer for the sampling and transport of pathogenic samples from a safety, reliability and cost perspective. It’s clear that we need a strong testing programme ready for flu season and a potential second wave of COVID-19 – as thousands of people are going to start presenting with symptoms that could be flu or coronavirus.
We have a sample collection kit that was designed in 2006 specifically for pandemics. It’s FDA cleared and CE IVD marked and can be used to collect both flu and COVID-19 samples in one kit. The kit immediately neutralises infectious samples and doesn’t require refrigerated transport so it’s safer, cheaper and easier to use than standard collection kits.”
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