Two dimensional barcode-inspired automatic analysis for arrayed microfluidic immunoassays

Abstract

The usability of many high-throughput lab-on-a-chip devices in point-of-care applications is currently limited by the manual data acquisition and analysis process, which are labor intensive and time consuming. Based on our original design in the biochemical reactions, we proposed here a universal approach to perform automatic, fast, and robust analysis for high-throughput array-based microfluidic immunoassays. Inspired by two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, we incorporated asymmetric function patterns into a microfluidic array. These function patterns provide quantitative information on the characteristic dimensions of the microfluidic array, as well as mark its orientation and origin of coordinates. We used a computer program to perform automatic analysis for a high-throughput antigen/antibody interaction experiment in 10 s, which was more than 500 times faster than conventional manual processing. Our method is broadly applicable to many other microchannel-based immunoassays. V C 2013 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx

Materials for Microfluidic Immunoassays: A Review

“…Inspired by two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, we developed a microfluidic network with build-in function patterns to analysis the signal obtained from microfluidic immunoassays (Figure 2b). [35] The function patterns define the orientation and the area of the ROI, as well as the characteristic dimensions of the data elements in the 2D barcode. This allows hand-held scanners to automatically decode 2D barcodes, regardless of the orientation or size of the 2D image.…”

“…Reproduced with permission. [35] Copyright 2013, AIP. c) Barcoded microchips for biomolecular assays.…”

Evaluation of disposable microfluidic chip design for automated and fast Immunoassays

“…Several new and exotic protein detection methods are reported in literature 36 in recent years. Some of these techniques have advantages in terms of high throughput operation, 37 less detection time ($10 min) with impressive detection limits 38 based on AC electro-osmosis, or digital microfluidics 39 (<10 pg/ml LOD, <1 h) and others. 40 Most of these systems, however, are still in the early development stage (device fabrication issues for digital microfluidics chip, complicated surface chemistry, its stability and general compatibility with different biological medium, etc.)…”

A multiplexed immunoaggregation biomarker assay using a two-stage micro resistive pulse sensor

“…However, conventional immunoassays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), require multistep labeling of antibodies, long assay time, and complicated detection instruments. 25,26 Recently, development of microfluidic immunosensors enables multiple biomarkers detection with various methods, including optical (fluorescent, 19,[27][28][29] Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic addresses: gc@uakron.edu and jzhe@uakron.edu.…”