The following is a detailed introduction to the iClean® Viral Transport System (VTM-RT):

Main Components and Functions

• Preservative solution: Usually contains various components, such as a buffer solution to maintain the acid-base balance of the sample and provide a relatively stable chemical environment for the virus, ensuring the activity and integrity of the virus; it may also contain nutrients such as proteins and salts to provide necessary nourishment support for the virus during transport, helping to maintain its activity.
• Lytic agent: Some VTM-RT may contain a lysis agent, such as guanidine salt, etc. Its function is to lyse the virus and release the nucleic acid when needed, so as to facilitate subsequent nucleic acid detection and other experiments, making the detection more convenient and efficient.
• Bacteriostatic agent: It can inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, prevent the sample from being contaminated during collection and transport, and ensure the accuracy of the test results.

Characteristics and Advantages

• High safety: The iClean® series of products may adopt special formulations and production processes to ensure the lowest risk to operators and the environment during use. For example, it may have characteristics such as low toxicity and no irritation, reducing the health risks caused by contact with the sample or preservative solution.
• Strong stability: This transport system can maintain stability over a wide temperature range and is suitable for sample transport in different environments. Whether at room temperature, refrigeration, or freezing conditions, it can effectively protect the activity of the virus sample and the integrity of the nucleic acid, ensuring the reliability of the test results.
• Good compatibility: The iClean® VTM-RT is usually compatible with a variety of detection methods and reagents. It can be used with different brands and types of nucleic acid extraction kits and detection reagents, providing greater flexibility and convenience for laboratory detection work.
• Efficient lysis: If the product contains a lysis agent, its lysis efficiency is high, which can quickly and fully lyse the virus and release a large amount of complete nucleic acid, improving the sensitivity and accuracy of nucleic acid detection, helping to more accurately detect the presence or absence of the virus and the viral load.
• Simple operation: The design of this system may fully consider the user’s operational convenience and is relatively easy to use. For example, the material and shape of the sampling swab may be optimized to facilitate sample collection; the sampling tube has good sealing and comes with clear markings and easy-to-operate tube caps, facilitating sample collection, preservation, and transport.

Application Scope

• Clinical diagnosis: Widely used in the clinical diagnosis of various viral infectious diseases, such as influenza virus, COVID-19 virus, avian influenza virus, etc. After medical staff collect samples such as nasopharyngeal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, or saliva from patients, they put them into the iClean® VTM-RT for transport, which can ensure the stability of the sample during transportation to the laboratory, providing a reliable sample for subsequent nucleic acid detection, antigen detection, etc., helping to diagnose diseases accurately and timely and guiding clinical treatment.
• Disease monitoring: In disease monitoring work, it can be used to collect and transport a large number of samples to understand the spread and epidemic trend of the virus in the population. For example, during the influenza season or an outbreak, by collecting and testing samples from different regions and populations, it is possible to timely grasp the information on the variation, infection rate, etc. of the virus, providing a scientific basis for public health decision-making.
• Scientific research experiments: For virological research, drug development, and other scientific research work, the iClean® VTM-RT is also an indispensable tool. Researchers can use this system to collect and transport samples from experimental animals or clinical patients to conduct research such as virus isolation and culture, gene sequencing, drug susceptibility testing, etc., providing important support for in-depth understanding of the biological characteristics, pathogenic mechanism, and development of effective antiviral drugs and vaccines of the virus.