Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, confirms its BioFlash® Biological Identifier is capable of detecting airborne COVID-19 following tests conducted by the University of Oregon, positioning the technology as an effective environmental monitoring tool for use in indoor public spaces.

The University of Oregon tests were performed in quarantine and isolation spaces known to have individuals who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19).

The BioFlash identified aerosolized virus, at the detectable range generated via human shedding, in rooms where the presence of SARS-CoV-2 was also detected by environmental swabs. The BioFlash technology allows for onsite confirmation of these results in under three minutes.

The findings build upon previously reported USAMRIID test results from February 2021 that determined Smiths Detection’s BioFlash® detected aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 in a controlled release.

“These test results verify the accuracy and reliability of the BioFlash in a real-world setting,” said Roland Carter, President, Smiths Detection. “An effective monitoring tool such as the BioFlash can contribute to creating a COVID-secure environment indoors, in places such as hospitals, schools, and commercial buildings, as well as provide invaluable data for better understanding the behavior of this virus. We will continue to explore the capabilities of this technology with a view to informing COVID-19 mitigation strategies.”

The product is available immediately in the US and arrangements for a global rollout currently underway.