Conidia has launched a digital verification tool to improve the speed of on-site testing for microbial fuel contamination.

The Fuelstat Result mobile application allows operators to complete compliance testing on-site without paper and without the need to register. The app allows users to verify fuel test results and create a report that can be immediately printed or emailed from the user’s phone or tablet.

The app works alongside the Fuelstat test kit. Once samples have been taken and results are ready, the app uses the phone’s camera to read and interpret the results. The user lines up the test kit with the outline provided on screen. When aligned, the outline will turn green and the app will verify the results, giving a clear and instant indication of levels of microbial contamination within the fuel using a traffic light system. An additional alert will be given if the results are close to a threshold, giving the operator the information required to determine the next test interval.

The app further includes an integrated guide to using the test kit, taking the user through each stage step by step and automatically starting a 12-minute timer to notify when the results should be read. Even if the user moves away from the app to do other things, they will receive an alert notifying them they need to read the test results.

“From taking fuel samples to having the test report ready to send can be completed on site in as little as 15 minutes compared with sending samples to a laboratory, which can take up to 10 days,” said Myrsini Chronopoulou, research and development manager at Conidia, in a press release. “There are no special skills necessary and, even if the user is not familiar with the test process, the app will guide them.”

A record of the last 10 results is kept locally on the phone and the user can add information about location, asset and any additional notes. If the user chooses to register on the app, details of the user are automatically entered on the report and results are transferred to a secure portal to enable collaborative access. An image of the test results and actual readings are included and supervisors can review, identify any trends and add notes.