A biomedical diagnostic company in Huntsville has launched a new COVID-19 test that promises to reduce exposure for front line healthcare workers.

The company that developed the product, iCUBATE, is housed on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Alabama’s Rocket City.

iCubate’s new test, from a consumer’s perspective, will function similarly to others on the market. A sample will be collected at a screening site, which will then be tested at a laboratory.

However, iCubate is touting that their test cuts down on virus exposure for healthcare workers because it is conducted in a single, disposable container.

“iCubate was eager to join the fight and developed the COVID-19 test for hospitals, clinical laboratories and temporary collection sites in major cities and small towns,” said Carter Wells, CEO of iCubate.

The company says their test was designed for people currently exhibiting symptoms of the coronavirus, and they say results can be generated less than six hours after a sample is collected.

A release from iCubate explains that their test is preferable for frontline workers because it “is performed in a single-use, closed, disposable cassette that is pre-loaded with the reagents necessary to provide a qualitative answer from a single patient sample.”

Fran White, a regulatory affairs consultant, said in a statement, “iCubate’s easy-to-use assay offers another option for laboratories to consider in the fight against COVID-19. The iCubate system is highly reliable and easy to install and implement in any laboratory setting.”

iCubate’s test has been submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization and is currently pending approval.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95