ABSTRACT

Basic Information

Abstract Number:	1800 - 7
Author Name:	Charles R Mace - Tufts University
Session Title:	Ralph N Adams Award
Event Type:	Awards
Event Title:	Paper-Based Microfluidic Devices for Point-of-Need Bioanalysis

Presider Name:	Norman J Dovichi	Co-Author:	Syrena C Fernandes, Samuel Berry
Affiliation:	University of Notre Dame	Affiliation:	Tufts University

Date:	Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Start Time:	03:40 PM (Slot #7)
Location:	B312

Abstract Content

We have developed a suite of three-dimensional paper-based microfluidic devices that enable diagnostic assays to be performed directly at the point-of-need. Paper offers a number of attractive characteristics that supports its use as a foundational platform for bioanalytical sensing in resource-limited settings: it is inexpensive, disposable, and compatible with an extensive range of chemical and biochemical reactions. The use of paper-based devices significantly reduces the burden of effort on an end-user, as complex biological samples (e.g., urine and blood) can be applied to the device directly without additional preparation and all biochemical reactions needed for an analysis (e.g., incubation with secondary antibodies) are performed autonomously within the device. Paper-based microfluidic devices thus permit many critical functions used by more sophisticated lab-on-a-chip technologies, but do not rely on power or additional instrumentation to provide valuable information on the health status of a patient. We have demonstrated our method by designing a general device architecture that is capable of performing immunoassays broadly, and we have expanded this approach to include multiplexed immunoassays. Further, we have demonstrated that the careful tuning of the physical and chemical properties of paper can enable entirely new classes of bioanalytical assays. Diagnostic assays created using simple and inexpensive materials have the potential to transform healthcare management systems in resource-limited settings.