Abstract
Background Malaria control efforts are limited in rural areas. A low-cost system to monitor response without the use of electricity is needed. Plasmodium aldolase is a malaria biomarker measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. A three-part system using ELISA was developed consisting of a microfluidic chip, hand crank centrifuge, and a smartphone. Methods A circular microfluidic chip was fabricated using clear acrylic and a CO2 laser. A series of passive valves released reagents at precise times based upon centrifugal force. Color change was measured via smartphone camera using an application programmed in Java. The microchip was compared to a standard 96-well sandwich ELISA. Results Results from standard ELISA were compared to microchip at varying concentrations (1–10 ng/mL). Over 15 different microfluidic patterns were tested, and a final prototype of the chip was created. The prototype microchip was compared to standard sandwich ELISA (n = 20) using samples of recombinant aldolase. Color readings of standard ELISA and microfluidic microchip showed similar results. Conclusion A low-cost microfluidic system could detect and follow therapeutic outcomes in rural areas and identify resistant strains.
Highlights
Effective strategies for the elimination of malaria are dependent upon tests that can provide early, accurate diagnosis
Lateral flow based Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) were developed in the 1990s. These RDTs are cheap, fast, and easy-to-use, they do not provide a quantitative estimate of parasitic burden and are less sensitive for detection of Plasmodium vivax [1, 2]
The results within the low end of the range do not show linearity, it is expected that humans infected with malaria have aldolase concentrations approximately 2–4-fold higher [9]
Summary
Effective strategies for the elimination of malaria are dependent upon tests that can provide early, accurate diagnosis. The gold standard has long been microscopic examination, but this is impractical in remote settings and requires specialized training. To circumvent this challenge, lateral flow based Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) were developed in the 1990s. Lateral flow based Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) were developed in the 1990s These RDTs are cheap, fast, and easy-to-use, they do not provide a quantitative estimate of parasitic burden and are less sensitive for detection of Plasmodium vivax [1, 2]. The prototype microchip was compared to standard sandwich ELISA (n = 20) using samples of recombinant aldolase. Color readings of standard ELISA and microfluidic microchip showed similar results. A low-cost microfluidic system could detect and follow therapeutic outcomes in rural areas and identify resistant strains
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