A microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPAD) fabricated by wax printing was designed to assess occupational exposure to metal-containing aerosols. This method employs rapid digestion of particulate metals using microliters of acid added directly to a punch taken from an air sampling filter. Punches were then placed on a μPAD, and digested metals were transported to detection reservoirs upon addition of water. These reservoirs contained reagents for colorimetric detection of Fe, Cu, and Ni. Dried buffer components were used to set the optimal pH in each detection reservoir, while precomplexation agents were deposited in the channels between the sample and detection zones to minimize interferences from competing metals. Metal concentrations were quantified from color intensity images using a scanner in conjunction with image processing software. Reproducible, log-linear calibration curves were generated for each metal, with method detection limits ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 μg for each metal (i.e., total mass present on the μPAD). Finally, a standard incineration ash sample was aerosolized, collected on filters, and analyzed for the three metals of interest. Analysis of this collected aerosol sample using a μPAD showed good correlation with known amounts of the metals present in the sample. This technology can provide rapid assessment of particulate metal concentrations at or below current regulatory limits and at dramatically reduced cost.

Paper-based analytical devices (PADs) represent a growing class of elegant, yet inexpensive chemical sensor technologies designed for point-of-use applications. Most PADs, however, still utilize some form of instrumentation such as a camera for quantitative detection. We describe here a simple technique to render PAD measurements more quantitative and straightforward using the distance of colour development as a detection motif. The so-called distance-based detection enables PAD chemistries that are more portable and less resource intensive compared to classical approaches that rely on the use of peripheral equipment for quantitative measurement. We demonstrate the utility and broad applicability of this technique with measurements of glucose, nickel, and glutathione using three different detection chemistries: enzymatic reactions, metal complexation, and nanoparticle aggregation, respectively. The results show excellent quantitative agreement with certified standards in complex sample matrices. This work provides the first demonstration of distance-based PAD detection with broad application as a class of new, inexpensive sensor technologies designed for point-of-use applications.

Here we report a three-dimensional paper fluidic device configured for electrochemical detection of biomolecules labeled with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This new sensor, which we call a NoSlip, represents a major improvement of our previously reported oSlip system. Specifically, detection of AgNPs in the NoSlip is based on galvanic exchange rather than a chemical oxidant (bleach or MnO 4 − in the oSlip). Galvanic exchange is implemented by depositing a very small amount of gold onto the working electrode. Once the AgNP labels are brought into the proximity of the electrode through the use of magnetic force, a fraction of the Au 0 is electrochemically oxidized to Au 3+ . The Au 3+ reacts with the AgNPs to form Ag + and Au 0 . The Ag + is then detected by anodic stripping voltammetry. This new methodology resolves three shortcomings of the oSlip while simultaneously simplifying the basic sensor form factor. First, the NoSlip resolves an oxidant instability issue because of the inherent stability of the Au 0 coating on the electrode that is used to electrogenerate the oxidant (Au 3+ ). Additionally, Au 3+ is a milder oxidizing agent than bleach or MnO 4 − , so it does not attack the major components of the NoSlip. Finally, the NoSlip eliminates the need for a slip layer because the oxidant (Au 3+ ) is electrogenerated on demand. The NoSlip is able to detect AgNP labels down to concentrations as low as 2.1 pM, the time to result is ∼7 min, and the cost at the laboratory scale, not including application-specific reagents, is $0.30. L ateral flow assays (LFAs) were first demonstrated in the 1950s as semiquantitative, colorimetric glucose sensors. 1 Their low cost and simplicity were ideally suited for many applications, and at the present time they dominate the pointof-care (PoC) sensing market. 2,3 LFAs do have limitations that restrict their applications, however. For example, the vast majority provide binary (yes/no) or, at best, semiquantitative output. They are also restricted to simple assays that do not require timed reaction steps, chemical amplification (e.g., polymerase chain reaction), or high degrees of multiplexing. In 2007, Whitesides and co-workers published a seminal paper describing how LFA-like devices could operate in two dimensions. 4 The key insight for that advance was realizing that the tools of photolithography could be used to pattern paper into hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains, thereby directing the flow of aqueous fluids along specified paths in two dimensions and allowing for multiplexed detection. 5−13 The following year the same group showed that this same basic design rule could be expanded to three dimensions, 14 thereby further increasing the number of potential applications. 15−19 Over the past four years, we have expanded on Whitesides' original multidimensional paper sensing ideas by introducing more convenient fabrication methods based on the principles of origami, 20,21 quantitative detection of analytes at subpicomolar concentrations 22 using on-chip electrochemical method...

We report a new type of paper analytical device that provides quantitative electrochemical output and detects concentrations as low as 767 fM. The model analyte is labeled with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which provide 250,000-fold amplification. AgNPs eliminate the need for enzymatic amplification, thereby improving device stability and response time. The use of magnetic beads to preconcentrate the AgNPs at the detection electrode further improves sensitivity. Response time is improved by incorporation of a hollow channel, which increases the flow rate in the device by a factor of 7 and facilitates the use of magnetic beads. A key reaction necessary for label detection is made possible by the presence of a slip layer, a fluidic switch that can be actuated by manually slipping a piece of paper. The design of the device is versatile and should be useful for detection of proteins, nucleic acids, and microbes.

Here, we report a strategy for the design of an inexpensive paper analytical device (PAD) for quantitative detection of oligonucleotides and proteins. Detection is based on the principle of target-induced conformational switching of an aptamer linked to an electrochemical label. This simple and robust method is well matched to the equally simple and robust characteristics of the PAD platform. The demonstrated limits of detection for DNA and thrombin are 30 nM and 16 nM, respectively, and the device-to-device reproducibility is better than ±10%. The PAD has a shelf life of at least 4 weeks, involves little user intervention, and requires a sample volume of just 20 μL.