Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment Patents Virus Collection Filter, Reduces Testing Time by Sixfold

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment has developed a "Showerhead-type Virus Collection Device" that enables faster and more accurate detection of viruses in groundwater compared to existing methods, and has recently obtained a patent for the technology.

This is a filter device inspired by a standard showerhead structure, which allows for easy collection of viruses present in groundwater. The patent covers both the "Filter Device for Virus Collection and Detection Method Using the Same."

Previously, testing for groundwater viruses required expensive water sampling equipment owned by specialized institutions and professional personnel. The subsequent analysis steps, such as virus elution and concentration, were also complex, resulting in a total testing time of approximately 26 hours.

Blueprint of the "Showerhead-Type Virus Collection Device," recently developed and patented by the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment

The device developed by the Institute has reduced production costs to about one-twelfth of conventional equipment. It employs a four-layered hollow fiber filter, which efficiently collects viruses as the groundwater passes through. The device is easy to operate, enabling anyone to collect samples on site, and the total testing time has been shortened to approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, which is about six times faster than before.

The performance evaluation also yielded excellent results. When testing for Norovirus G1 under a 1,500-liter groundwater condition, the new device achieved a detection rate 2.67 times higher than that of the standard food code sampling equipment used in established testing protocols, demonstrating improved viral recovery and detection accuracy.

Moon Heecheon, Director of the Northern Branch at the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, stated, "With this new patented technology, we have established a foundation for performing groundwater virus detection more efficiently and economically. We expect to be able to conduct and respond to virus testing more promptly in the event of groundwater contamination in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.