Automated digital bioanalysis prototype reports 15-minute respiratory testing

A tabletop system integrates preparation through result display

A multi-institution team reported developing a bench-top product prototype for fully automated digital bioanalysis. The approximately 50 cm by 50 cm device integrates automated dispensing, sample pre-processing, fluorescence imaging and image analysis. The article says a system implementing the Direct-SATORI method tested nasal and throat swab samples for acute respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2, without a separate nucleic-acid purification device.

According to the article, digital bioanalysis had required several steps—including reagent handling, reactions, image acquisition and data analysis—and depended on skilled technicians. It does not provide a directly comparable baseline for the prototype's performance.

The reported prototype combines sample preparation, reagent mixing, reactions, imaging, analysis and result display in a compact automated instrument. In a respiratory-infection evaluation using the SATORI method, the team reported results in about 15 minutes, with sensitivity and specificity both around 90%.

The prototype is presented as moving single-molecule digital bioanalysis from a multi-step manual workflow into one instrument. The article describes possible future use in laboratory-developed tests and broader clinical applications, but these are prospective aims rather than demonstrated deployment.