The gold standard collection method for COVID-19 is a nasopharyngeal swab. However, it is invasive and unpleasant, which leads to low patient acceptability. Therefore, for a study, researchers sought to investigate the process of creating and verifying an alternative nasopharyngeal irrigation-based respiratory pathogen collecting method. The main goal was to ascertain if adequate pathology sampling could be accomplished using a nasopharyngeal irrigation mechanism that was proportional to the nasopharyngeal swab approach.
Using Shapr3D modeling software, the research device was created, then printed using fused deposition modeling. The research apparatus performed a saline nasopharyngeal washing on each of the fifteen subjects. To determine the existence of the human RNase P gene, 2 real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing techniques were used to assess the suitability of the specimen. Using the PCR cycle threshold (Ct) as a quantitative evaluation tool, the results.
RNaseP was detected in all 15 samples, proving their cellularity, proper nucleic acid extraction, and lack of amplification inhibitors. The mean Ct value was 29.5 (Applied Biosystems TaqPath RT-qPCR) and 30.7 (NECoV19). None of the subjects reported any discomfort from the irrigation mechanism, and all agreed that the research device irrigation process was quicker than the nasopharyngeal swab.
Early diagnostic testing was crucial for contagious illnesses like COVID-19, and the literature has long recognized its value in developing effective preventative strategies. However, the need for innovation to strengthen testing infrastructure is more significant than ever. The study aimed to design and validate a fluid debridement-based alternative nasopharyngeal respiratory pathogen collecting method. Data from the pilot research showed that the study equipment produced high-quality specimens for PCR testing successfully. When compared to the nasopharyngeal swab, the research equipment received positive feedback from the study participants as well.
Reference: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735675722005472
