Electronic components manufacturer TT Electronics (TTG) has confirmed that it is part of a team trying to help the travel industry tackle the fluid coronavirus problem.
The company said today that it is collaborating on the development of one of three non-clinical Covid-19 screening devices being tested at Heathrow airport.
TT has been appointed as an exclusive manufacturing partner for the commercial launch of Virolens, the device being trialled. Virolens was created by iAbra and its partners University of Bristol, Dell and Intel.
SPEED ADVANTAGE
Virolens is a machine learning holographic microscope that provides a self-administered test using a single use cartridge. Heathrow has been trialling Virolens alongside two other solutions, swab and saliva solutions Geneme and Mologic.
It’s main advantage appears to be speed. The Virolens test takes just 30 seconds to administer, with perhaps a similar amount of time needed to check results and change the cartridge for the next test. By contrast, Geneme and Mologic take approximately 30 minutes and 10 minutes respectively to produce results, so the advantage in dealing with many more arriving air passengers is clear.
TT’s work was to design, develop and test the prototype Virolens screening device and to specify and design the manufacturing processes.
‘It is still fairly early in the process, with Virolens undergoing further trials alongside competing solutions’, said Numis analyst Richard Paige, but the situation is said to be developing rapidly.
REVENUES STILL A BIG ‘IF’
TT said revenues from Virolens were dependent on iAbra's end customers converting expressions of interest into firm orders, and subject to Virolens meeting further regulatory authority requirements.
Richard Paige cautioned against getting ‘carried away’ given that there are a very wide range of potential outcomes, including zero if Virolens wins little support from potential customers, or fails regulatory approvals.
But the analyst does believe that a successful product could be ‘very material to TT’.
Shares in TT rallied more than 6% by mid-morning on Tuesday, hitting 187.89p, their highest since early June.
