Potential utility of the Genedrive point-of-care test for HCV RNA detection

In an article in Gut,1 Lemoine and Tillman reviewed our recent publication on the development and validation of a novel point-of-care (POC) HCV viral assay.2 They acknowledge that Genedrive is the only CE-In Vitro Diagnostic-qualified device for HCV detection, and that the limit of detection (LOD: 1406–3203 IU/mL) permits identification of the vast majority of HCV chronic cases.3 However, they emphasise some limitations of the study and Genedrive. One limitation highlighted is the need for plasma which is still required for 100% of HCV clinical tests. Nevertheless, recent studies demonstrated microfluidic plasma separation without centrifugation4 or with low-cost hand-powered paper centrifuges.5 It is feasible to foresee such devices overcoming the need for conventional centrifuges and facilitating Genedrive testing.

They also question whether 15 µL of plasma can be obtained by fingerprick. Published studies report 20–25 µL per drop of blood,6 so...

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