A New Zealand-made portable device could be the breakthrough health workers need in the global fight against Ebola.

Freedom 4 can do on-the-spot DNA tests for bacteria and viruses, without the need for samples to be taken back to a lab.

"The great advance is that this takes the laboratory to the patient, so instead of the specimen having to go off and you may have to wait a few days for a result, this means you could get a result within an hour," says Michael Baker of Otago University's Department of Public Health.

Dr Baker says researchers have been working on a prototype of the device for more than six years, and that it will most likely be ready for use next year.

"It needs to go through a lot of testing to make sure it's accurate, and there are a few technical issues to work through."

He says the technology could be a game-changer.

"Going into the future, this is the kind of technology that could really make a difference for testing for a lot of things - particularly in countries that have very poor resources.

"This really is a revolution for testing in that situation".

Watch the video to see the full interview with Dr Baker.

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Freedom 4 a 'revolution' for medical testing