Applications of Microfluidics for Molecular Diagnostics

Abstract

Diagnostic assays implemented in microfluidic devices have developed rapidly over the past decade and are expected to become commonplace in the next few years. Hundreds of microfluidics-based approaches towards clinical diagnostics and pathogen detection have been reported with a general theme of rapid and customizable assays that are potentially cost-effective. This chapter reviews microfluidics in molecular diagnostics based on application areas with a concise review of microfluidics in general. Basic principles of microfabrication are briefly reviewed and the transition to polymer fabricated devices is discussed. Most current microfluidic diagnostic devices are designed to target a single disease, such as a given cancer or a variety of pathogens, and there will likely be a large market for these focused devices; however, the future of molecular diagnostics lies in highly multiplexed microfluidic devices that can screen for potentially hundreds of diseases simultaneously.

Rapid and sensitive detection of canine distemper virus by one-tube reverse transcription-insulated isothermal polymerase chain reaction

“…Moreover, the nested PCR assay is quite laborious and time-consuming and requires gel electrophoresis for amplicon detection, making it prone to cross contamination. Recently developed miniaturized chips have progressed by the introduction of microfluid technology for pathogen detection [49][50][51]. However, high costs of the reaction vessels and instruments, problems in product manufacturing, and sub-optimal detection methods have deferred these methods from being applied to point-ofcare diagnostics for resource-poor facilities.…”

The Changing Role of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory in Defining Resistance in Gram-negatives

“…These lab-on-chip miniaturized and automated diagnostics will become the point-of-care tests in the future, significantly affecting the outcome of patients. [164][165][166] These devices (i) use very small amounts of sample (from nano-to picoliters) and reagents, (ii) incorporate multitasking functions in a disposable single cartridge performing different steps (eg, cell lysis, hybridization, amplification), (iii) do not need expensive equipment, and (iv) ensure high sensitivity, rapid results, and less work load for the operators owing to innovative detection methods (eg, optical, magnetic, electrochemical). [167][168][169] Several authors have used microfluidic technologies to perform rapid AST for Gram-negatives.…”

Resistance diagnosis and the changing economics of antibiotic discovery

“…Pharmaceutical companies can therefore be c POCRD is already available for some infectious diseases for tens of dollars per test. Given promising recent developments in microfluidics, 13 nanoscale chemical probes, 14 and whole-genome sequencing, 15,16 such tests may soon be available at much lower cost while also covering more diseases and providing richer diagnostic detail. expected to revisit the libraries of antibiotic compounds discovered in the 20th century but left unpursued-whether because of their toxicity or narrow spectrum of activity-and develop some of these second-class compounds into new antibiotic treatments.…”

“…POCRD is already available for some infectious diseases for tens of dollars per test. Given promising recent developments in microfluidics, nanoscale chemical probes, and whole‐genome sequencing, such tests may soon be available at much lower cost while also covering more diseases and providing richer diagnostic detail.…”