Ohio State researchers testing breathalyzer to detect COVID-19
June 5 - Professor Perena Gouma is the primary investigator of a team developing a breathalyzer device that will sample breath for key biomarkers of the infection. She says it would serve as an alternative to current tests that are expensive, can take a long time to get results and require specialized personnel to do the sampling and to analyze the results. Read more.
Department of Materials Science and Engineering performs mechanical testing on swab prototypes for COVID-19 diagnostic testing
May 11 - The Ohio State team has been performing mechanical tests on 3D-printed and injection molded swabs since April 23. Pete Gosser, Laboratory Supervisor with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) is managing the mechanical testing in a lab that would normally be bustling with engineering students. Instead, newly manufactured test swabs are being analyzed for materials performance; “It is important that we have quantitative data on the material properties of the test swabs. The swab has to be flexible enough to travel through the nasal canal yet sturdy enough to stay intact during the test.” Read more.
Engineering solutions to COVID-19 challenges
April 3 - Two MSE professors are among a squad of engineers enlisted in the fight against COVID-19. Professor Perena Gouma’s group is developing an inexpensive COVID-19 breathalyzer device that will sample a single exhaled breath for two key biomarkers of the infection. This research builds upon her invention of a hand-held breath monitor that may provide early detection of flu before symptoms appear prior to her arrival at Ohio State. Professor Glenn Daehn has been leading discussions on how to keep essential workers safe, and a clear consensus emerged from the group of engineering and healthcare professionals he convened: a "Masks for All" policy can have a significant effect in slowing community transmission. Read more.
