COVID-19 testing: evaluation of the Automated Workcell
This report describes and presents the evaluation of a purpose-built automated laboratory.
Applies to England
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The laboratory was designed to handle a high throughput of clinical samples with maximal automation and minimal requirement for trained technicians. The key piece of equipment in this lab is called the Automated Workcell and was set up to perform a reverse-transcription loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay using saliva samples for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2.
This evaluation has demonstrated that the Automated Workcell is an innovation that can be deployed safely and at scale for future pandemics or in other cases of urgent public need.
This pilot was conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the University of Leicester.