An air membrane laboratory with a daily capacity of testing up to 10,000 people for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) made its debut at China National Gene Bank in Shenzhen on Friday.
The biological laboratory, jointly developed by Shenzhen-based life science and genomics company BGI and Shanghai Yituobang Construction and Development Co. Ltd., is an inflatable, easy to transport and low-energy-consumption lab designed as an emergency response plan for the detection of COVID-19, according to Saturday’s Shenzhen Economic Daily.
Dubbed the air membrane version of the Huo-Yan Laboratory, it is a P2-level biological laboratory with nucleic acid testing equipment. The laboratory contains five separate cabins for sample collection, sample reception, reagent preparation, sample preparation and an amplification area.
According to Yin Ye, CEO of BGI, the lab has a ventilation system that separates incoming and outgoing air, and the HEPA (high efficiency particulate air filter) system that makes sure air that circulates in both directions is clean.
The Daily said the lab looks like a giant space capsule if viewed from the sky.
Yin said the air membrane laboratory is like an urban emergency response kit that can be delivered to various cities and is easy to set up when needed. “It can be folded and put away when not in use,” said Yin, adding that the shape and the functions of the lab can be adjusted in accordance to the actual needs and the condition of a specific place.
Yin said the air membrane laboratory addresses the logistics and limited space problems in the construction of a container-converted makeshift lab in the fight of the Ebola virus. Considering that the novel coronavirus has spread to more than 200 countries worldwide, it would be challenging to have the bulk of construction materials shipped to virus-hit countries for virus-detection labs.
According to Yin, it has taken his company and his Shanghai partner one week to design and build the lab. “But the production time will be shortened when mass producing it.
The air membrane lab can be used for an average three to five years outdoors and it can be converted into a permanent structure by applying composite materials on top of the air film, the Daily quoted Yin as saying. The lab is also installed with sensors, which are able to detect damaged equipment in time to make repairs.
The lab developers are currently applying for third-party inspection and certification.
The Huo-Yan Laboratory, jointly set up by BGI and other partners, has been built in 13 Chinese cities and other overseas countries to detect COVID-19 virus since the first such lab was inaugurated in Wuhan, the virus epicenter in China, on Feb. 5.