Research
Next-generation PCR and the speed of a strep diagnosis
PCR has always been the accuracy standard. Next-generation instruments make it small, fast, and simple enough to run beside the patient.
What PCR does
Polymerase chain reaction copies small amounts of DNA from bacteria or viruses so that an infection can be detected directly rather than inferred. It is the reason molecular testing is held as the accuracy standard across infectious disease.
Why the old constraint was practical, not scientific
Traditional PCR instruments are reliable but large, expensive, and slow, and they generally need laboratory expertise to operate. That is what kept molecular testing in the reference lab and left the clinic with rapid antigen tests.
What next-generation instruments change
Next-generation qPCR brings faster DNA amplification, compact equipment, and simplified operation with minimal training, without giving up molecular-level accuracy. The chemistry did not get less rigorous. The box got smaller and quicker.
What that means at the point of care
SalivIQ Strep A uses next-generation qPCR to detect group A Streptococcus from a saliva sample in as little as 22 minutes. The clinician gets a molecular result inside the same visit, and can prescribe, or decline to prescribe, on evidence rather than on judgement.
keep reading
