Benchmark Electronics, a provider of engineering, design, and manufacturing services, and consumer genetic testing firm DnaNudge, have announced a manufacturing partnership to deliver volume production of DnaNudge's lab-free reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing system.
DnaNudge’s consumer DNA testing innovation, which requires no lab and delivers results in just over an hour, has been re-engineered as a testing system to accurately detect COVID-19. In August, the U.K. government announced an order for 5.8 million CovidNudge testing kits to be rolled out in NHS hospitals and out-of-hospital locations across the U.K. from September, following successful validation.
Regius professor Chris Toumazou, CEO and co-founder of DnaNudge, said: “When the pandemic first hit, we realised that our DNA testing technology could be used to rapidly identify patients with COVID-19. By combining our expertise in DNA testing with Benchmark’s world-class design and production capabilities, and its ability to deliver complex medical technology manufacturing at scale, we are able to meet the huge global demand for this technology.”
The DnaNudge system works by placing a patient’s swab sample into a low-cost, single use “DnaCartridge”. The DnaCartridge extracts RNA from a sample which is then inserted into the NudgeBox for analysis and reverse transcribing to DNA, producing results in just over an hour. The cartridge has 72 tiny wells in its assay, known as a multiplex. This means the technology can detect the presence of human RNA, as well as viral RNA, to eliminate ‘false negatives.’ It can also assess the presence of several of the COVID-19 genes, including both the WHO and CDC assays, to improve accuracy. The technology is also able to detect other viruses such as type A flu, type B flu, and RSV.
DnaNudge engaged Benchmark to apply its design for excellence capabilities to manufacture the CovidNudge NudgeBox and optimise it for maximum reliability and manufacturability. Benchmark also optimised the supply chain in support of the design for excellence recommendations and to rapidly launch and ramp production to get the product in the hands of healthcare professionals as quickly as possible.
Jeff Benck, president and CEO of Benchmark, said: “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Benchmark is working closely with medical customers to help develop and manufacture key devices used to support patients when it matters most. We’re proud of our partnership with DnaNudge to bring its innovative rapid testing system to volume production at speed and help meet the demand for COVID-19 testing across the world.”
