(Digital Presentation) Development of an Electrochemical Microfluidic Device with on-Platform Sample Collection

Abstract

As the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to develop, the need for portable rapid testing platforms remains prevalent to provide patients with accurate and quantitative diagnostic and serosurveillance information at the point-of-care. The current gold standard detection techniques like RT-PCR and ELISA require trained personnel to perform lengthy protocols, resulting in a long turnover from sample collection to result acquisition. Herein, we propose an electrochemical microfluidic device for on-platform detection of viral proteins and antibodies at the point-of-care in a multiplexed manner. Miniaturization technology through the use of microfluidic devices offers numerous advantages including low reagent consumption, high fluidic control, reduced reaction times, inexpensive applications, and the possibility of throughput analysis. Electrochemical detection can provide advantages in cost effective fabrication, high sensitivity and simple instrumentation using a standard 3-electrode (working, reference, and counter) setup. Our platform proposes the design of an electrochemical cell with an enhanced working electrode to act as the detection assay with microfluidic channels to facilitate sample collection and pre-treatment; an integrated saliva collection kit and lancing device enabled the use of both untreated saliva from direct self-collection and whole blood from a finger prick. Automated fluid manipulation reduced the potential of user contamination through the implementation of suction-based flow. The electrochemical microfluidic device was encased in a 3D-printed cartridge for the fabrication of a fully integrative technology on a single platform with the potential to be used at the point-of-care in both clinical and commercial applications using direct biofluids.