The early diagnosis of active hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a significant barrier to the treatment of the disease and to preventing the associated significant morbidity and mortality seen, worldwide. Current testing is delayed due to the high cost, long turnaround times and high expertise needed in centralised diagnostic laboratories. Here we demonstrate a user-friendly, low-cost pan-genotypic assay, based upon reverse transcriptase loop mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP). We developed a prototype device for point-of-care use, comprising a LAMP amplification chamber and lateral flow nucleic acid detection strips, giving a visually-read, user-friendly result in <40 min. The developed assay fulfils the current guidelines recommended by World Health Organisation and is manufactured at minimal cost using simple, portable equipment. Further development of the diagnostic test will facilitate linkage between disease diagnosis and treatment, greatly improving patient care pathways and reducing loss to follow-up, so assisting in the global elimination strategy.

活动性丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV) 感染的早期诊断仍然是治疗该疾病和预防全球范围内相关的显着发病率和死亡率的重要障碍。由于集中诊断实验室需要高成本、长周转时间和高专业知识，当前的测试被推迟。在这里，我们展示了一种基于逆转录酶环介导的等温扩增 (RT-LAMP) 的用户友好、低成本的泛基因型检测。我们开发了一种用于床旁护理的原型设备，包括 LAMP 扩增室和侧流核酸检测条，可在 <40 分钟内提供直观、用户友好的结果。开发的检测符合世界卫生组织推荐的当前指南，并且使用简单、便携式设备。诊断测试的进一步发展将促进疾病诊断和治疗之间的联系，大大改善患者护理途径并减少随访损失，从而有助于全球消除战略。