Initiatives for the COVID-19

Medicaroid Corporation, a joint venture between Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Sysmex Corporation, a leading manufacturer of clinical testing equipment and reagents, is developing products such as an automated robotic PCR testing system and verifying their implementation in society. This is being conducted in preparation for a repeat expansion of COVID-19, as a social contribution that can be achieved by the company due to the expertise it has in both robotics and medicine. The automated robotic PCR testing services provided by these systems are 'quick, continuous, high sensitivity and high accuracy' and contribute to the expansion and improvement of the automated robotic PCR testing system by reducing the infection risk and workload of healthcare workers, preventing human errors, and responding to the shortage of healthcare workers.

The system can also be laid out compactly in a transportable container. This simplifies the installation work and saves space. The system makes it possible to produce PCR test results in a short period of time to prove negative results in situations such as before boarding an airplane or before entering an event hall. We are working toward the early development of this business and have installed an automated PCR testing service at Kansai International Airport, the first airport in Japan to provide this service for international departures.

We aim to establish a system that can test up to 125,000 samples per day by the end of fiscal 2021, and to expand the automated PCR testing service from monitoring in urban areas to screening, to make a major contribution to the reopening of human travel and the restoration of mobility in society.