A coronavirus test that can give a result in 20 seconds has been given the green light to be used in Scotland.
The rapid test, which is known as Virolens, was given approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ) earlier today.
Trials conducted at Heathrow Airport had shown that the test had 98.1% sensitivity, meaning that there was just under a 1% chance of a false negative.
It has also shown 99.7% specificity, which meant that there was just a 0.3% chance of a false positive.
Individuals take a mouth swab to collect cheek and tongue cells before it is placed inside a testing cartridge.
A Virolens operator then pops it into a machine, where it is examined by a holographic microscope.
Holographic imaging is then run through an artificially-intelligent computer trained to detect Covid-19.
The device then returns a positive or negative result for coronavirus within 20 seconds.
Histate said that the test could be used in airports, sports venues and businesses following its approval.
The distribution company is set to launch the product with immediate effect and is hoping for a further rollout in the coming months.
It is unclear if the new test will be distributed across Scotland in the near future.
Scotland currently tests for coronavirus through PCR and lateral flow tests - which can take from hours to a few days to return a result.
