The 3 Heathrow Tests and their use cases11 Sep 2020 14:22
The 3 tests at Heathrow must have been selected because they are the fastest, most accurate and furthest progressed in the development cycle, with a quick route to manufacture. So the Mologic test is further progressed and closer to market than we had originally though which is great news. When you compare the 3 tests, I think it makes sense for Heathrow to go with i-Abra when you look at a breakdown of the pros and cons of each test. But an airport is a unique situation as the $20,000 initial investment to buy one of these machines is not a barrier to entry for an airport. Below I have summarised the 3 different tests and their likely use cases.
--* A Breakdown of the 3 Heathrow tests *--
- *i-Abra: "Machine will cost less than $20,000, with cartridge testing kits about "the price of a paperback book", so expensive initial outlay and still costs around £10 for a test. Advantages are that it provides an accurate result in 30 seconds, which is hugely important in an airport environment.
- Use cases: Airports, big business, big sporting events.
- *RT-LAMP: "Experts put the cost of ‘lab in a box’ (LAMP) tests at around €40 to the consumer", provides results in 30 minutes and has great accuracy.
- Use cases: Smaller businesses, but with a high cost per test as well as initial capital outlay, the tech will need to be improved or cost reduced.
- *Mologic: Results in 10 minutes, cost will be under £10 with no initial capital outlay to buy a machine.
- Use cases: With its portability, price and ease of use will make it the most attractive test in many different situations: businesses of all sizes, small-mid size events, home use, travel, family celebrations like christmas.
Sources:
i-Abra: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/20-second-coronavirus-screening-test-piloted-at-u-k-s-heathrow-airport
RT-LAMP: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/test4travel-quarantine-testing-airport/