MiniDock MTB Test

The MiniDock MTB test platform, made by Chinese company Pluslife Biotech, is a battery-operated point-of-care nucleic acid amplification test (NPOC-NAAT) for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

Specimens are collected with a swab an immersed in a tube containing a reagent that releases DNA. The platform also includes a device that heats and spins the tube to inactivate and separate the MTB DNA, a test card that collects the liquid sample from the tube, and a card reader that provides results. The entire process takes around 30 minutes.

An NIH funded study of the MiniDock MTB device was undertaken by an international team of tuberculosis (TB) researchers in seven high TB-burden countries including India, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia. A total of 1,380 patients were tested. The device correctly detected MTB from sputum samples in 87.5% of cases and correctly identified people without TB in 97.6% of cases. 

MiniDock MTB met the WHO requirements for accuracy: sensitivity of 85% or higher and specificity of 98% or higher. The results also matched those of the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test. 

MiniDock MTB’s sensitivity and specificity on tongue swabs were 79.6% and 99.5%, respectively. This performance met WHO requirements for non-sputum testing of 75% or higher sensitivity and 98% or higher specificity. This is an important advantage because 25% to 40% of people with TB symptoms are unable to produce sputum for testing. 

The card reader and the thermolyze device each cost around $180, and the test cards cost roughly $4.00. The low cost and ease of use should enable molecular testing for MTB in low-resource countries. WHO has recommended the testing platform and use of tongue swabs to simplify and expand MTB testing.

References

Yerlikaya S, et al, Pulmonary Tuberculosis Detection with MiniDock MTB Using Swab Samples, N Engl J Med, 2026;394:1710-1722.

WHO, WHO recommends near point-of-care tests, tongue swabs, and sputum pooling for TB diagnosis, March 9, 2026, https://www.who.int/news/item/09-03-2026-who-recommends-near-point-of-care-tests--tongue-swabs--and-sputum-pooling-for-tb-diagnosis