CIDRAP news story
Diagnosing TB relies primarily on two methods: one involves a process that is more than 140 years old (smear microscopy), and the other is a more recent technological advance (rapid molecular TB diagnostic tests). Both methods have limitations and are mainly performed on sputum. However, many patients — from babies to the elderly to people with HIV — are unable to produce sputum for testing.
A new easy-to-use TB test addressed the limitations of current TB diagnostics. The MiniDock MTB platform, developed by Pluslife Biotech, is a battery-operated near point-of-care nucleic acid amplification test (NPOC-NAAT). It works with sputum or tongue swabs and matches the accuracy of established tests. Results are available in about 30 minutes.
Read the full news story here.
SEE ALSO:
- University of California San Francisco: Portable TB test matches lab accuracy in just minutes
- Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg: A single swab is sufficient: Study paves the way for simplified TB diagnosis
- MedPage Today: Portable TB diagnostic tool matched traditional tests’ results /free registration is required/
- NPR: Long a dream, it’s now real: A fast and accurate TB test that doesn’t need phlegm
For more TB updates, check out the TB CAB Weekly Newsletter (Issue #14, 3 May 2026).
The newsletter is brought to you by the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) with the support of Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG). Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Source : CIDRAP
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