BREAKTHROUGH portable tuberculosis test using simple swabs has demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy across multiple countries in a large cross-sectional study. The MiniDock MTB met World Health Organization (WHO) performance targets and showed reliable results using both sputum and tongue swab samples, supporting its potential use in faster, more accessible tuberculosis detection in diverse clinical settings.
Portable Tuberculosis Test Shows High Diagnostic Accuracy and Meets WHO Targets
Research from Yerlikaya and colleagues included a total of 1380 participants with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis from outpatient centres in India, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.
The MiniDock MTB met World Health Organization (WHO) performance targets for near-point-of-care tuberculosis diagnostics, achieving at least 85% sensitivity for sputum samples, 75% sensitivity for non-sputum samples, and at least 98% specificity across both sample types. Usability was also rated highly, with a median system usability score of 75 out of 100 (interquartile range 65–80), indicating good ease of use in clinical settings.
Global Burden of Tuberculosis Highlights Need for Better TB Test Options
Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of infectious disease-related death worldwide, with timely diagnosis critical to improving treatment outcomes and controlling transmission. However, access to rapid, accurate, and easy-to-use diagnostic tools remains limited in many high-burden settings, particularly at or near the point of care.
In this context, researchers evaluated the MiniDock MTB nucleic acid test card (Guangzhou Pluslife Biotech), a portable, battery-operated molecular testing platform designed to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex using a simple swab-based approach. The device delivers results within minutes and is intended for use in decentralised healthcare settings.
MiniDock MTB Shows Strong Diagnostic Accuracy in Multinational Evaluation
The test demonstrated strong diagnostic performance, with sensitivity of 85.7% for sputum samples and 79.6% for tongue swabs, alongside specificity exceeding 97.5% for both sample types. Performance using sputum closely matched that of the established Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay, while sensitivity was substantially higher than smear microscopy for both sputum and tongue swab testing.
Swab-Based Tuberculosis Test Expands Access, Usability, and Clinical Potential
The authors noted that the swab-based tuberculosis test could expand access to molecular diagnostics in settings where sputum collection is difficult or laboratory infrastructure is limited. They also highlighted the system’s portability, low cost, and minimal training requirements supported its suitability for decentralised healthcare settings, as well as advantages for patients who are unable to produce sputum.
Yerlikaya and team called for further evaluation in real-world programmes, particularly to assess performance in patients with low bacterial load and to explore integration into strategies for detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Reference
Yerlikaya S et al. Pulmonary tuberculosis detection with MiniDock MTB using swab samples. N Engl J Med. 2026;394:1710–1722. DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa2509761.
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