WaterScope: developing an easy-to-use bacterial contamination field kit for use in low-middle income countries

WaterScope正在开发一种数字化、快速、通用的饮用水细菌检测系统，任何人都可以在任何地点使用。在全球，超过22亿人无法获得安全水源，估计每天有2 100多名儿童死于由水中致病菌引起的腹泻病；这比艾滋病毒/艾滋病和疟疾加起来还要多。改进检测技术和及早发现受污染的水源是解决这一全球挑战的必要条件。现有的测试工具在实地环境中使用研究实验室技术和设备。这种方法包括许多复杂的准备和处理步骤，需要超过24小时的孵育，培养细菌菌落，直到肉眼可见。这将导致测试变得昂贵、复杂、容易出错和缓慢。或者，水源必须送到中央实验室进行处理，这导致很大一部分成本花在物流和实验室技术人员成本上，每个样品的测试成本高达30美元。我们的创新设备提供更快，低成本，多功能，可靠和连接的测试结果。WaterScope测试套件由两个核心组件组成：一个药筒和膜支架，可以在现场轻松采集和制备样品（消除复杂的灭菌和处理步骤）；还有一个测试系统，包括一个显微镜和一个机器学习算法来识别细菌的存在。这种药筒可以检测各种不同的细菌，包括大肠杆菌、假单胞菌、霍乱以及耐抗生素细菌。该测试套件包含一个嵌入式物联网模块，目前在165个国家运行，有助于自动上传测试数据。这使利益攸关方能够实时查看水质结果，绘制数据图并分析趋势，同时访问其组织或社区网络内完成的所有测试结果。提议的项目将把我们目前的原型从TRL 6级发展到TRL 9级。WaterScope是剑桥大学的分支机构，在过去4年里筹集了超过70万英镑的非稀释性资金。特别是，我们在2020年通过之前的Innovate GCRF第一阶段项目在南非、坦桑尼亚和埃塞俄比亚测试了我们的原型，取得了显著进展。拟议的项目将确认市场可行性，使我们能够在项目完成18个月后开始大规模生产并开始商业化。

WaterScope is developing a digital, rapid, versatile, bacterial testing system for drinking water testing, that anyone can use, in any location. Globally, over 2.2 billion people lack access to a safe water source and more than 2,100 children are estimated to die each day from diarrheal diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria present in water; this is more than HIV/AIDS and Malaria combined. Improved testing techniques and early identification of contaminated water sources are integral to solving this global challenge.Existing testing kits use research-lab techniques and equipment in a field-based setting. This approach includes many complex preparation and handling steps and requires over 24 hours of incubation to grow bacterial colonies until they are visible by eye. This results in the tests being expensive, complex, prone to error, and slow. Alternatively, water sources have to be sent for processing in central labs, which results in a large proportion of the cost being spent on logistics, and lab technician costs, with tests costing as much as 30 USD per sample.Our innovative device provides a faster, low cost, versatile, reliable and connected test result. The WaterScope testing kit consists of two core components: a cartridge and membrane holder to enable easy sample collection and preparation in the field (eliminating complex sterilisation and processing steps); and a testing system which includes a microscope and a machine learning algorithm to identify bacterial presence. The cartridge enables testing of a variety of different bacteria including E. coli, Pseudomonas, Cholera, and also antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The testing kit contains an embedded IoT module which currently operates in 165 countries, facilitating the automatic upload of testing data. This allows stakeholders to view the water quality results in real-time as well as map the data and analyse trends, whilst accessing all of the results of tests done within their organisation or community network.The project proposed will develop our current prototype from TRL level 6 to TRL level 9\. WaterScope is a University of Cambridge spin-out and has raised over £700K of non-dilutive funding over the last 4 years. In particular, we have made phenomenal progress in 2020 testing our prototype in South Africa, Tanzania, and Ethiopia through a previous Innovate GCRF phase 1 project. The project proposed will confirm market feasibility, to allow us to begin mass manufacturing to begin commercialisation after the project's 18-month completion.