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It looks like a tiny aluminum bread-maker but its creators vow it can deliver COVID-19 test results in 30 minutes.

And Alberta is ordering 250 of the Canadian-made hand-held Spartan Cubes in hopes of ending a diagnostic shortfall in rural and remote areas.

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“This investment will ensure we can maintain our rapid pace in testing and alleviate pressures on our front-line workers with quick result confirmations,” Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro said in a statement.

The province’s $9.5-million contract with Spartan also includes 100,000 test kits used in the analyzer.

Currently, it can take several days for test results.

The latest function of the DNA analyzer developed by Ottawa-based Spartan Bioscience is expected to be approved by Health Canada in the next few weeks, then shipped to provinces such as Alberta.

The device can quickly adapt to testing whatever malady that demands a diagnosis, said company CEO Paul Lem.