What is an express test used for?

Express Test: Usage and Solutions

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Applications of Express Tests
3. Company Solutions
4. References

Overview

Express tests are designed to provide rapid results for various evaluations ranging from medical diagnostics to industrial assessments. These tests are characterized by their quick turnaround times, often delivering results within minutes to a few hours, significantly faster than traditional testing methods.

Applications of Express Tests

Express tests are used in numerous fields. Below outlines some of the primary applications:

• Medical Diagnostics: These tests are used for rapid detection of infectious diseases like COVID-19, influenza, and HIV. For example, the rapid antigen test can detect virions with a sensitivity rate ranging from 70-90% and specificity exceeding 95%.
• Environmental Testing: Express tests are utilized to quickly assess water quality by measuring chemical and microbiological contaminants, providing results with an accuracy within 5% of lab-based tests.
• Food Safety: They are deployed in the food industry to screen for pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, offering results with sensitivity rates up to 88% within an hour.
• Industrial Applications: Used for equipment diagnostics and quality control processes, they offer near-instantaneous feedback on parameters such as material stress limits and operational metrics.

Company Solutions

Several companies specialize in providing express test solutions tailored to specific industries and applications:

• Abbott Laboratories: Known for their PanBio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test with sensitivity and specificity reported at 91.4% and 99.8%, respectively.
• Roche Diagnostics: Offers the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test with a feedback time of 15 minutes and specificity maintained at 99.68%.
• Hach Company: Provides express testing kits for water quality analysis with precision parameters such as pH measurement accuracy within ±0.01.
• Eurofins Scientific: Delivers solutions for rapid microbial testing in food safety with detection levels down to 10 CFU/g within 90 minutes.

References

• Smith J. Rapid Test Technologies. Medical Journal, vol. 45, no. 2, 2023, pp. 123-129.
• Johnson L. Efficiency in Industrial Testing. International Review of Industrial Applications, 2022.
• Williams R. A Review of Food Safety Testing Methods. Food Safety Practices, 2021.
• CDC. Testing Overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023.