Japanese Developer Starts Selling COVID-19 Test Device Priced Twofold Lower Than Rivals

Sumaira FH Published November 27, 2020 | 05:30 PM

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) Shimadzu Corporation, a Japanese company that specializes in developing precision instruments and medical equipment, on Friday announced that it had started selling an automated COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test device, AutoAmp, priced twofold lower than similar products developed by competitors.

"With the development of a PCR [polymerase chain reaction] test kit for the coronavirus, we have taken another step towards preventing the spread of the coronavirus infection.

We have developed an automatic device for quick PCR testing," Shimadzu Corporation said in a press release.

The price of the AutoAmp device is 2.09 million Yen ($20,100), while similar products created by other companies are sold for approximately four million yen. Shimadzu Corporation hopes to attract small hospitals and quarantine centers by making the device affordable. The company's goal is to sell 3,000 devices annually.

The device is 12 inches wide and 26 inches high.