Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) has secured an emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its BD Veritor at-home Covid-19 test.
BD Veritor is claimed to be the first at-home Covid-19 rapid antigen test to use computer vision technology in a smartphone to interpret and offer a digital display of testing results.
According to the company, the rapid antigen test does not require a prescription, a laboratory or a long wait for results.
The new rapid, digitally-read and lateral flow antigen self-test has been developed for people to complete the Covid-19 testing with privacy and safety in their own homes.
Initially, the company will supply the test to businesses, schools and governments seeking a self-testing option for employees or students.
The pain-free nasal swab and an easy-to-use mobile app from Scanwell Health will be used by the BD Veritor at-home Covid-19 test to deliver results within 15 minutes.
By using Scanwell Health’s app, the BD Veritor at-home Covid-19 test can be carried out at home by people 14 years of age or older.
The app, which is available on iOS and Android, offers step-by-step instructions on how to collect and transfer the nasal swab sample to the test stick.
Later, the camera of the mobile device will be used to capture, analyse and interpret the results, thereby enabling to avoid the human subjectivity of a visually read test.
In addition, the test is suitable for children as young as two years old with samples collected by an adult.
BD life sciences president Dave Hickey said: “The rise in Covid-19 cases from the Delta variant has increased the demand for at-home testing, and the BD Veritor At-Home Covid-19 Test is an easy-to-use test with definitive digital results that is ideal for use in the home.
“New mandates from governments and businesses are specifying the need for periodic testing for those who cannot or chose not to be vaccinated, and this new test may help businesses, governments or schools fulfil those requirements.”
