Imagine results of a Covid-19 test in less than a second, from a single sample of saliva.

That could happen by the end of this year, if Newsight Imaging’s revolutionary SpectraLit device continues to show excellent results in ongoing clinical trials at Sheba Medical Center.

“Under laboratory conditions, we were clearly able to differentiate between Covid-19 samples that were positive and those that were negative, with a 95 percent percent accuracy rate,” said trial leader Dr. Eli Schwartz, founder of Sheba’s Center for Geographic Medicine and Tropical Diseases.

“For a new AI based technology such as this, the results are quite encouraging,” Schwartz added.

Newsight’s core business is advanced image sensor chips for 3D machine vision and spectral analysis, used in verticals such as mobile, robotics, Industry 4.0, automotive safety and surveillance.

“The corona pandemic forced us to be extremely creative,” said Eyal Yatskan, CTO and cofounder of Newsight Imaging, based in Ness Ziona.

“With our team of experts in chip design, optics and microbiology, in a great collaboration with Prof. Schwartz and his team, we were able to utilize our groundbreaking advantages in the machine vision world, validated in our 3D technology, into the spectral analysis world, and specifically to virus detection. Our AI based solution is unique as we have developed all the technology solution starting from a spectral chip, through its firmware, boards, and of course AI algorithms.”

The company has already sold a license to develop virus and bacteria detection devices based on its technology, to Hong Kong company AIinnoBio.

The Israeli clinical trial will test Newsight’s SpectraLit on hundreds more patients for another four to six weeks, after which final results will be analyzed.

Patents for the company’s chip technology are registered worldwide. Newsight is establishing a joint company, Virusight Diagnostics, with Sheba’s ARC Innovation Center to make the Covid-19 test and other novel solutions commercially available worldwide.

ARC is testing and implementing a range of cutting-edge Covid-19 treatments, vaccines and diagnostic technologies at Sheba.