New Brunswick, N.J. (April 30, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineering professors Edward P. DeMauro, German Drazer, Hao Lin and Mehdi Javanmard are available for interviews on their work to develop a new type of fast-acting COVID-19 sensor that detects the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from a person’s breath.
“Our breathalyzer device, funded through the National Institutes of Health RADx and Rutgers HealthAdvance programs, is intended to allow for rapid testing of young children without the challenges associated with a nasal swab, which can be uncomfortable,” said DeMauro, an experimentalist in aerodynamics and assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the School of Engineering. “Our goal is to create a product that is not intimidating and can easily be modified for use involving other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu, or in a future pandemic. Our team of researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is working on building a prototype by December 2022.”
“We’re using our expertise in fluid dynamics and electrical engineering to create a device that is simple to use and does not require excessive blowing by children or other users,” said DeMauro, who focuses on aerodynamics and flow control.
To interview DeMauro, Drazer, Lin or Javanmard, contact Todd Bates at todd.bates@rutgers.edu
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Broadcast interviews: Rutgers University has broadcast-quality TV and radio studios available for remote live or taped interviews with Rutgers experts. For more information, contact John Cramer at john.cramer@rutgers.edu
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Rutgers University–New Brunswick is where Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, began more than 250 years ago. Ranked among the world’s top 60 universities, Rutgers’s flagship is a leading public research institution and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. It has an internationally acclaimed faculty, 12 degree-granting schools and the Big Ten Conference’s most diverse student body.
