Hong Kong Industrialist - Oct 2020

許 多病毒和細菌都會引致咳嗽、喉嚨 痛、發燒、流鼻水和鼻塞等上呼吸道 感染症狀。雖然市場上已有能同時檢測多種 病原體的診斷技術，但它們針對的主要是歐 美常見的病毒、細菌，而非亞洲的病原體， 加上測試成本高昂，非一般患者所能負擔。 新型冠狀病毒的感染癥狀與其他呼吸道疾病 分別不大，但傳染力極強，所致的死亡個案 超越了中東呼吸綜合症和SARS。我們迫切 需要強而有力的技術去迅速區分不同的病原 體，以便即時採取適當的措施來避免疾病大 規模傳播。事實上，早在五年前，香港理工 大學（理大）暫任協理副校長（創新及技術 發展）兼應用生物及化學科技學系客座教授 劉樂庭教授已開始率領研究團隊開發全球最 全面的自動快速診斷系統。該系統小巧、便 攜，容易操作，可同時檢測新型冠狀病毒等 多達40種呼吸道病原體，且能快速得出結 果，絕對適用於醫院、診所及口岸的即時檢 測篩查。 M any viruses and bacteria can cause upper respiratory tract infection symptoms such as cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose and nasal congestion. Although there have been tests to detect multiple pathogens in the market, they are mostly designed for viruses and bacteria more commonly found in the US and Europe, rather than in Asia. Those tests are also too expensive to most patients. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) gives rise to symptoms similar to other respiratory illnesses, but it is highly infectious and has claimed more lives than MERS and SARS. The world is in urgent need of robust technologies that can quickly differentiate between different types of pathogen, so that appropriate and World’s Most Comprehensive Automated Multiplex Diagnostic System Identifying up to 40 Respiratory Pathogens within an Hour 全球最全面的自動快速診斷系統 一小時內檢測多達40種呼吸道病原體 LOCAL DISCOVERY 本地科研 immediate measures can be taken to avoid large-scale spreading of diseases. In the past five years, Prof Terence Lau, Interim Associate Vice President (Innovation and Technology Development) and Adjunct Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has been leading a research team to develop the world’s most comprehensive rapid, automated multiplex diagnostic system that detects up to 40 infectious respiratory pathogens in one single test, including the COVID-19. The machine is compact, portable, easy to operate, and can generate results quickly, making it the perfect point-of-care screening tool to be used in hospitals, clinics and ports. 34 | 10-12/2020