Our medical consultant answers your TB related questions

Why is TB screening important, especially as a lab test is still required?

Why is the RBS screening device better than other TB screening tests?

How much training is involved to be able to collect a sample and to use the optical reader?

What about if the patient can't cough a sample - what can we do?

The population groups at greater risk from TB are the young and elderly - is this true and are there any special conditions we need to be aware of when handling the RBS product with these groups?

How do we safely dispose of the sample collection tubes?

How often can we use the reader, and can we use it to screen for other infectious diseases?

How many readers will we need to screen a group of several hundred people - is there an optimal number of readers required for certain population groups i.e is the screening speed subject to the population group type?

Presuming that the operator is familiar with the apparatus and the test procedure, one test should take approximately ten minutes to get a result. It is a relatively simple calculation to work out how many readers will be required for any given number of people, or how long it will take using only one, At the time of writing this, we are not aware of any demographic that indicates an alteration in the speed of sample collection, unless, just unless, someone knows better.

Using this test, how long will it take to get a result, and how accurate will this result be?

Is the RBS test cost effective when compared with what is currently available, and thus attractive to potential purchasers?