New Zealand science-driven company, Orbis Diagnostics has undertaken a trial with Air New Zealand employees to
significantly accelerate the development of Orbis’ automated Covid-19 immunity testing platform which may be a key tool
in helping New Zealanders reconnect with the world.
Orbis spokesperson Kieran Jina said the partnership involved testing a selection of Air New Zealand employees and is a
vital step in the development and commercialisation pathway for the technology.
“Orbis’ immunity testing platform has been specifically designed to accurately measure an individual’s immunity to
Covid-19 at non-laboratory, high-volume locations like airports and point of need sites like pharmacies and workplaces
within 15 minutes,” said Mr Jina.
“This means the level of protection a fully vaccinated individual has gained from vaccination can be quickly determined
and correlated to the risk of infection to make an informed assessment of whether the individual can reduce their
quarantine period without increasing the chance of transmitting the virus.
“Having information about a person’s immunity will be critical as everyone’s response to vaccination is different and
it’s also likely the effectiveness of the vaccine will wear off over time. The results obtained from the trial will be
used to further validate the use of rapid immunity testing alongside other testing technologies in a risk-based
framework that facilitates the re-opening of our borders.
“Supporting the gradual shifting of our border settings isn’t the only application of the technology. As we navigate
this complex virus, it can be used to regularly test individuals to make sure their immunity isn’t wearing off which
could signal the need for a booster shot,” said Mr Jina.
Air New Zealand Chief Medical Officer Dr Ben Johnston said “Air New Zealand was thrilled to be part of the trial to
verify Orbis’s immunity testing technology. We know that when borders reopen, measures like immunity testing may
compliment the high vaccination rates required to keep communities safe.”
Mr Jina adds “With comparable accuracy to the complex tests available in medical labs, each Orbis’ device is capable of
taking a finger prick of blood from up to 8 people at a time and reporting results within 15 minutes, making it a
robust, cost effective, scalable, and practical solution to support the gradual shifting of border settings.
“In addition to the Air New Zealand study, we are thrilled to be part of Sir Ian Taylor’s 151 Off the Bench trial,
measuring his immunity and protection to Covid-19 on the day of his departure from New Zealand.
“The Air New Zealand trial and work with Sir Ian advances our partnership with the world’s leading global identity
company IDEMIA to develop and deploy a complete immunity testing solution for the travel industry for COVID-19
applications and beyond,” said Mr Jina.
About Orbis Diagnostics:
Orbis Diagnostics’ mission is to make complex medical testing simple and accessible whenever and wherever needed to
overcome some of the world’s biggest health challenges. Built on a diagnostic platform, Orbis’ technology is
specifically designed to deliver highly accurate, medical grade testing into high-volume, non-laboratory environments,
enabling critical decisions to be made quickly, with confidence.
The first application of Orbis’ platform is an on-demand immunity test capable of accurately measuring an individuals’
immunity to Covid-19 and reporting results within 15 minutes. This application will be a key component of international
border frameworks to facilitate safe travel, solving a potentially long-lasting issue. Through its partnerships with
governments and leading biometrics company, IDEMIA, Orbis will deploy a complete quantitative immunity test solution at
points of travel around the world.