In a preliminary study, the group reported high accuracy for the detection of breast cancer within an hour by combining a fluorescence flow cytometer with fine-needle biopsies.
The platform can detect a single virus in more than 1,000 samples at a time or more than 160 viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in a small number of samples.
The platform retained high sensitivity after exposure to plasma for more than one month, opening up a range of potential diagnostic applications, the researchers said.
Researchers at Harvard, Peking University, and Yikon Genomics suggested that their noninvasive test is more specific than the prevailing biopsy-based method.
The company believes it can provide tests to predict patients' responsiveness to specific drugs akin to the molecular diagnostics that have now swelled the oncology space.
