HAND-HELD ASSAY READER WILL HELP IN BIOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
July 29, 1998

HAND-HELD ASSAY READER WILL HELP IN BIOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES

A hand-held assay reader, developed by researchers at Battelle, will give first-responders to potential biological emergencies a prompt detection of potential hazards in the air or water.

The reader gives emergency squads and police—normally the first on the scene of emergencies—the ability to assess whether a biological agent has been released. The reader also could have military applications.

The assay reader works on the same principle as a home pregnancy test. An assay is a cardboard ticket containing five plates that are sensitive to biological agent. The assay is injected with a liquid sample that may contain biological contaminants absorbed from the air, then placed in the automated reader.

Within 15 minutes, the reader will interpret the markings on the assay plates and determine if agent is present. The reader can test for five different agents at once and eliminate the possibility of human error in reading the color changes that are indicators of biological presence.

“The last thing you want during an emergency situation is someone trying to visually assess an assay to determine if there’s a biological agent,” said Bill Altman, Battelle Program Manager for NBC Detection Systems. “The readers do the work and can detect any number of biological agents. The machine has a high degree of sensitivity that will enable it to detect agent that a human couldn’t see. And, the testing is standardized. The user doesn’t have to make adjustments to the reader.”

The reader is battery operated and could be available commercially for about $1,000. It was developed under a federal program for domestic preparedness.

Altman said Battelle researchers are exploring other uses for the assay reader, such as in the food service industry where it could be used to test the safety of food products. “It would be a simple procedure to test food for E. coli or salmonella by adapting the assay technology for food-borne pathogens,” Altman said.

For more information, contact Katy Delaney, Manager of Media Relations, Battelle, at 614.424.5544; or e-mail delaneyk@battelle.org.