The reissued Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration also permits the test's use in asymptomatic individuals, the firm said.
Driven by potential advantages like high throughput, a number of groups have pursued mass spec-based tests, but assay performance has hindered these efforts.
The third quarter continued Abbott's streak of offsetting base business declines with COVID-19 testing, with 38 percent growth in the diagnostics business.
The company said it could produce 3 million antigen tests before the end of this year and between 15 million and 20 million tests per month starting next year.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said that it would use Fluidigm's saliva-based molecular SARS-CoV-2 test as part of a federal surge testing program.
Thermo Fisher's test is now authorized for use with the Everlywell COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit, which enables individuals to self-collect nasal swab specimens.
The assay does not require nucleic acid extraction or purification, unlike a LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 test that received Emergency Use Authorization in August.
