Seegene Unveils Mobile Testing Lab 'Mobile Station'... "PCR Tests Anywhere at Once"

Up to 7,500 Tests Per Day
3.5 Hours from Sample Collection to PCR Results

At MEDLAB2021, Jihoon Park, Head of Seegene Middle East (right), and Ashish Kosh, CEO of G42, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Seegene's Mobile Station entry into the Middle East and North Africa markets. (Photo by Seegene)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Seegene announced on the 22nd that it showcased its new concept on-site molecular diagnostic laboratory, the ‘Mobile Station,’ at the world’s largest diagnostic and medical device exhibition, ‘Medlab Middle East 2021,’ held from the 21st to the 24th local time at the Dubai International Trade Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

MEDLAB 2021 is a global diagnostic and medical device exhibition with participation from over 600 companies across 40 countries worldwide. Seegene has been participating for 10 years since 2011.

The newly unveiled ‘Mobile Station’ is a testing facility that allows specimen collection and PCR testing for various infectious diseases, including COVID-19, to be completed in one place wherever needed. The company expects it to play a significant role in preventing the resurgence of the pandemic, as it can test for COVID-19 and its variants.

Generally, PCR tests have been conducted only in limited spaces such as large hospitals or laboratories to reduce contamination issues. In contrast, the Mobile Station is designed with Seegene’s unique technology and expertise to completely block contamination during the PCR testing process, despite being an on-site laboratory. The Mobile Station is equipped with ‘Biological Safety Cabinet Class II Type A2’ equipment and negative pressure facilities to prevent contamination and manage infections.

Another advantage is that it can be installed anywhere where many people gather, such as schools, airports, workplaces, military bases, and large event sites. It also ensures accessibility by allowing relocation and installation at different locations as needed, enabling molecular diagnostic testing anywhere desired. Equipped with Seegene’s ‘One Platform’ testing system, it can test up to 7,500 people per day and reduce the time from specimen collection to PCR test results to 3.5 hours, enabling rapid high-volume testing.

The Mobile Station can use Seegene’s more than 150 diagnostic kits that diagnose respiratory viruses, HPV (human papillomavirus), STI (sexually transmitted infections), GI (gastrointestinal diseases), and more, allowing it to diagnose various infectious diseases in daily life even in the post-COVID era.

It also plans to apply the ‘Combo Swab,’ which allows self-specimen collection. Until now, COVID-19 testing required medical professionals to insert a swab deep into the nasal cavity (nasopharyngeal swab) to collect specimens, but the Combo Swab enables individuals to collect specimens themselves from inside the mouth and nose without inserting the tool deeply. Since specimens are collected from both the nose and mouth, accuracy is higher. In fact, domestic clinical results showed that the Combo Swab has the same accuracy as the nasopharyngeal swab.

Seegene’s Mobile Station was developed in collaboration with the KAIST Global Public Procurement Center. It has been selected as a medical overseas expansion project by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute and is preparing for full-scale overseas expansion. At the exhibition, Seegene’s Middle East local subsidiary signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ‘G42 healthcare,’ an IT and healthcare company owned by the Abu Dhabi government, for the Mobile Station’s entry into the Middle East and North Africa markets. About 20 people attended the signing ceremony, including representatives from the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the Korean Embassy in the UAE, and the UAE Ministry of Health and Welfare. Seegene is also discussing various ways to utilize the Mobile Station with governments and companies worldwide.

Lee Min-cheol, Vice President of Seegene Life Science Research Institute, said, “Since COVID-19 is increasingly likely to coexist with humanity, new quarantine methods suitable for this are also necessary. Seegene’s Mobile Station will play a key role not only in COVID-19 but also in quickly identifying the cause of symptoms the moment new viruses threaten our daily lives and preventing them from leading to a pandemic.”