Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for sensitive and
cost-effective diagnostics. The gold standard test to diagnose COVID-19 is real-time PCR, and although there have been multiple advances in PCR testing, the real-time PCR thermocyclers are bulky and expensive. Given that PCR is one of the most sensitive and specific testing methods for diagnosis, it is necessary to find a solution to make it affordable, especially for low-middle-income countries(LMICS). This led to the objective of this project to develop a low-cost, portable, and automated real-time PCR device. This project includes WELPCR (portable thermocycler), and WELStat (potentiostat that can be connected to a smartphone for electrochemical measurements). The user has to add PCR master mix to pre-processed samples and place them in the holder on WELPCR. The temperature profile and other parameters can be visualized on the LCD display. An electroless nickel immersion (ENIG) PCB electrode is immersed in the PCR sample tubes to note the electrochemical measurements for real-time quantification.
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