A Simple Point-of-Care Microfluidic Immunomagnetic Fluorescence Assay for Pathogens

Abstract

In this work, we reported a simple rapid and point-of-care magnetic immunofluorescence assay for avian influenza virus (AIV) and developed a portable experimental setup equipped with an optical fiber spectrometer and a microfluidic device. We achieved the integration of immunomagnetic target capture, concentration, and fluorescence detection in the microfluidic chip. By optimizing flow rate and incubation time, we could get a limit of detection low up to 3.7 × 10(4) copy/μL with a sample consumption of 2 μL and a total assay time of less than 55 min. This approach had proved to possess high portability, fast analysis, high specificity, high precision, and reproducibility with an intra-assay variability of 2.87% and an interassay variability of 4.36%. As a whole, this microfluidic system may provide a powerful platform for the rapid detection of AIV and may be extended for detection of other viral pathogens; in addition, this portable experimental setup enables the development of point-of-care diagnostic systems while retaining adequate sensitivity.

Magnetic bead droplet immunoassay of oligomer amyloid β for the diagnosis of Alzheimer′s disease using micro-pillars to enhance the stability of the oil–water interface

“…Microfluidic techniques have allowed the miniaturization of conventional ELISA for the development of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics (den Dulk et al, 2013;Park et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2013). The advantages of microfluidic devices include their portability and the small volumes of samples and reagents required, as well as the reduced likelihood of contamination, low cost, low power consumption, and enhanced sensitivity and reliability.…”

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for in vitro diagnostic testing at the point of care

“…The additional push for one technology to monitor several biomarkers simultaneously for more effective and universal disease diagnosis is motivating recent advancements in multiplexed sensing capabilities. Many optical approaches have been utilized for POC applications including fluorescence [69][70][71][72], luminescence, absorbance, Forster energy transfer (FRET) [73], bioluminescence energy transfer (BRET) [74][75][76], surfaceplasmon resonance (SPR) [77,78], resonant Rayleigh scattering [79][80][81][82], geometric scattering [1], and Raman spectroscopic approaches [83][84][85][86][87][88][89]. Advancements in biochemical sensing methods, nanotechnology, and the miniaturization of optics have been key in improving spectroscopic platforms for biomarker detection.…”

Applications of Microfluidics in the Agro-Food Sector: A Review

“…The microfluidic platform improved the detection of amplified DNA fragments size in terms of handling and rapidity. Zhang et al (2013) developed a microfluidic device to integrate immunomagnetic target capture, concentration, and fluorescence detection of the avian influenza virus (AIV). An optical fiber spectrometer was used to measure the fluorescence signal from the device.…”