The medtech company Senova from Thuringia, developer and manufacturer of Together with Kraus Maschinenbau, the medtech company Senova and Omron have developed and built special machines in recent weeks that significantly speed up and improve the previously very time-consuming manual production of rapid coronavirus tests. The ultimate goal is to be able to test more people than before.

Driven by current developments, Senova has succeeded in bringing the first coronavirus antibody rapid test to market in record time. These tests, which look similar to a pregnancy test, are manufactured using the eCobra600 robots. Due to the increased production volume, Omron has now delivered two more eCobra600 Pro robots and integrated them into the production line. The control and drive of the cutting and packaging machine also come from Omron, developed and built by Kraus. The first machine was delivered in mid-May 2020. Further lines are being planned due to the huge demand.

Tests support doctors and nurses
As a medium-sized, owner-managed company based in Weimar, Germany, Senova specializes in LFA technology and its market launch. Around 30 employees take care of research, development, production, sales, logistics, quality management and quality assurance. The Thuringian medtech experts' new and currently most sought-after product worldwide is a rapid coronavirus antibody test that indicates within ten minutes whether a person has already been infected.

An international research team involving the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena has developed the test, which has been available for several weeks. It uses a blood sample to show whether a person is currently infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus or is already immune. The IgM antibodies are found in the blood a few days after the infection, the IgG antibodies only form during the course of the infection. They often remain detectable for months and indicate existing immunity. This is how caregivers, nurses or doctors can find out whether they are immune to the virus, for example. The Thuringian research team has completed the tests together with Chinese partners and the medical device distributor Servoprax and confirmed their effectiveness. And they did so in a record time of three months.

As the worldwide demand for such tests is currently enormous, Senova now has to produce in large quantities. The previously manual production and packaging of the test kits could no longer keep up with the thousands of order requests. The schedule for this project was therefore very tight. The new machine can cut and pack 30 to 45 rapid corona tests per minute. As demand is so high, capacity is now to be increased quickly with additional machines. The machines are currently running six days a week from 7 am to 10 pm.

Assembly in medical technology
The eCobra robots provide important support here. The Scara robots are particularly suitable for processing, assembly and material handling in medical technology. The four-axis robot has a reach of up to 800 millimetres and can be adapted to the respective fields of application, as in the case of test production. In addition, the eCobra technology scores with high repeatability and a payload of up to 5.5 kilograms. The amplifiers and controllers built into the robot reduce the number of cables. The overhead mounting configuration enables efficient use of space, even in clean rooms, which are essential in the medtech environment. as