Measie
Nieuwe Rijn 56A
2312 HJ Leiden
The Netherlands
Currently, Measie provides up to eight different rapid tests online. These differ from sexual tests to check-ups, and can be found in our shop.
Another word for a rapid test is a ‘lateral flow assay’. This a simple point-of-care tests intended to detect the presence of a specific biomarker in a given sample. Lateral flow assays are commonly used in-home, at the point-of-care and sometimes in laboratory. The most famous and recent use case of a lateral flow assay is a COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. Antigen tests played a crucial role during the pandemic in where it indicates if a person is infectious. What is the history of rapid tests?
The technology of a lateral flow assay exists since the 1960’s. However, before 2020, the words “lateral flow assay” meant little to anyone outside the scientific community. For most people the ‘dipstick’ like test is famous for its use as an at-home pregnancy test. That this technology, of antigen (protein)- antibody binding on a paper strip, could be used for other purposes was unknown to the general public. But now, thanks to COVID-19 the term has entered the public consciousness. It is the second time that this technology experienced a form of mass adaption after its first big presence as a tool for women to test for pregnancy in private, without going to the doctor. COVID-19 now opened the gate to other health rapid test.
Before the pandemic, there were already specific segments where LFA’s were being used, mostly in infectious diseases, such as HIV, Malaria, Ebola. The rapid turnaround time, accuracy and low costs are fundamentally important for these diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) LFA’s meet all criteria to be ‘ASSURED’: affordable, sensitive, specific, user-friendly, rapid and robust. Rapid tests can be used for a variety of other conditions, such as sexual transmissible infections, influenza, Vitamine D deficiency, gluten intolerance, tumor markers etc.
The technology of a lateral flow assay exists since the 1960’s. However, before 2020, the words “lateral flow assay” meant little to anyone outside the scientific community. For most people the ‘dipstick’ like test is famous for its use as an at-home pregnancy test. That this technology, of antigen (protein)- antibody binding on a paper strip, could be used for other purposes was unknown to the general public. But now, thanks to COVID-19 the term has entered the public consciousness. It is the second time that this technology experienced a form of mass adaption after its first big presence as a tool for women to test for pregnancy in private, without going to the doctor. COVID-19 now opened the gate to other health rapid test.
Rapid tests could aid in the understanding or diagnoses of a condition. It is a quick, reliable, cheap and easy-to-use way alternative for laboratory testing. According to Harvard Professor Michael Mina, rapid tests are the answer to living with covid, because it is an inexpensive method to find out if you are infectious. Likewise, rapid tests could play an important role to aid in our understanding for other important conditions and for early diagnosis. It marks the decentralization of healthcare, where patients test theirselves for a variety of conditions and are better informed.
Inside the plastic housing of the rapid test cassette, the magic happens. Here specific proteins bind with proteins on the paper strip. This video about COVID-19 antigen tests could help in the understanding of how rapid tests work:
The technology of all LFAs is located inside the plastic ‘housing’ or ‘test cassette, and contains of a paper strip made of cellulose. The most important role of the housing is to maintain the shape and therefore protect the paper strip. These low-cost plastics cassettes are fabricated with injection moulding, to make sure the paper strip is protected and could be seen from the outside. However, is not essential that this product is made from plastic. The most important argument to look for alternatives is that lateral flow is a ‘throwaway technology’, meaning the product is meant for single-use and is non-recyclable. Most tests will be incinerated along with other medical waste, but since these tests are perform almost everywhere, a lot of them also end up in landfill. Billions of rapid tests have been used during the pandemic.
Shipping costs are €4,50 per order.
Yes! All orders via our webshop can be sent to every address within the European Union. For orders to countries outside the EU, we kindly ask to send us a mail to hello@measie.com. Packages shipped to international addresses generally take 7-16 business days to arrive after your order is processed. Note that often orders will be passed to and delivered by your country’s local post office.
At present, the delivery time is 1 working day (NL), 5-7 days (EU), and 7-16 days (outside EU) but this may change. What we can certainly say is that we try to deliver the tests to you as soon as we can. Delivery details will be provided in your confirmation email. If you have not received your products, feel free to email us at hello@measie.com.
99% of the time our shipping is free of taxes, fees and duties. While this is something that happens on very rare occasions, we have no control over this and cannot estimate additional fees. Duties and taxes are not included in the total at checkout. They are determined by the customs agency within the destination country. Assessment of duties and taxes will be based on the value of the order and the tax-free threshold, if it exists, for goods imported into the destination country. Payment of any duties and import taxes is the responsibility of the recipient, and these fees are collected at the time of delivery.
The orders are delivered via our partner PostNL. Immediately after shipment you will receive a confirmation email with a track and trace link to track your package. For international orders, please note that orders often will be passed to and delivered by your country’s local post office.
We always aim to make sure our customers are satisfied, but if you do need to return an order, we are happy to help. Just email us directly and we will take you through the process. If the product is unused, in its original, unopened packaging, and is clean and undamaged, the product can be returned within 30 days of receiving for full refund minus shipping. Please contact us at hello@measie.com with your order # and email.
It takes up to 7 business days for your refund to come through, provided that the product is still in its original packaging and there are no signs of use or misuse. Eligible returns must be sent via registered mail. We will refund you the amount you paid for the order, minus shipping and packaging.