Jay Han graduated from the University of Cincinnati with his PHD in 2006. He’s now using his electrical engineering background to help develop the latest in testing for the coronavirus at Mico Biomed here in Cincinnati.

• The test collects DNA from the swab sample and then purifies it to find a result
• The test only takes one to three hours to get a result
• The technology is portable and is used at the point of care for the patient

“We didn’t know that this pandemic would happen,: Han said. "Then after a few weeks we were like this is going to be debilitating.”

Han is from South Korea and saw how the disease was spreading in Asia. So with his help, his company invented the VERI-Q PREP M16- a toaster sized testing instrument that is portable and quick.

“Typically it takes three hours but our instrument we can get the results from a sample within one hour," Han said.

Here’s how it works- the nasal swab the doctor or nurse takes is diluted before putting it in the VERI-Q. Then the device extracts DNA from the swab. And the best part is you can get your results right in your doctor’s office.

“We call it the point of care testing or POCT," Han said. "So this point of care, the result can, you can get the result at point of care, at the patient's side.”

Han says the device was created after they saw such a need for testing. In Southwest Ohio, drive-thru testing at the University of Dayton Arena has already administered almost 1500 COVID-19 tests. But health experts say if your symptoms can be managed at home, to not even get tested so the diminishing tests can be saved for those at higher risk.

Han says their device has been cleared in Europe and is being used there as well as countries in Asia. They submitted their proposal to the FDA last week and hope to have clearance soon.

“I hope tomorrow!" he said. "I hope tomorrow!”

And Han says he looks forward to helping those in America that need it.

“I’m very proud of my major and my work for helping people with my product," he said.