Hong Kong health tech: private-public alliance advances male HPV testing
Neo-Health Group says its device, developed with a government-backed research institute, will also help test for skin infections and cancers
Hong Kong medical centre operator Neo-Health Group aims to the expand use of an award-winning cell sampler for virus testing, which it co-developed with a government-backed research institute, to diagnosising skin diseases including cancer.
Normally, testing for HPV in men requires a medical practitioner to collect cell samples in a procedure using fine sandpaper to scrape skin cells from the surface of the penis. Nanoswab, made with medical-grade silicone, makes self-sampling possible, after which samples can be mailed to laboratories for DNA tests. It won accolades at this year’s Edison Awards and International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.
“There is no standardised methodology for male HPV testing globally because of the absence of a uniform and reliable way to do cell sample collection,” Neo-Health founder and chairman Francois Fong Yeung told the Post. “Only when we standardise this can we scientifically show the test’s reliability and encourage testing.”
Neo-Health plans to expand usage of Nanoswab to the diagnosis of fungal skin infections in both human and animals, as well as early screening for skin cancers.
HPV is a DNA virus that is transmitted by skin contact through sex. More than 200 types have been discovered, of which around 30 infect the anal and genital areas. Most people with HPV do not know they have the infection, because they do not have symptoms. Some will develop genital warts, which can be treated with prescription creams.
