Abstract
The early diagnosis of infectious diseases is critical because it can greatly increase recovery rates and prevent the spread of diseases such as COVID-19; however, in many areas with insufficient medical facilities, the timely detection of diseases is challenging. Conventional medical testing methods require specialized laboratory equipment and well-trained operators, limiting the applicability of these tests. Microfluidic point-of-care (POC) equipment can rapidly detect diseases at low cost. This technology could be used to detect diseases in underdeveloped areas to reduce the effects of disease and improve quality of life in these areas. This review details microfluidic POC equipment and its applications. First, the concept of microfluidic POC devices is discussed. We then describe applications of microfluidic POC devices for infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, tumors (cancer), and chronic diseases, and discuss the future incorporation of microfluidic POC devices into applications such as wearable devices and telemedicine. Finally, the review concludes by analyzing the present state of the microfluidic field, and suggestions are made. This review is intended to call attention to the status of disease treatment in underdeveloped areas and to encourage the researchers of microfluidics to develop standards for these devices.
Highlights
There are still some problems to be solved, DEP technology can undoubtedly play an important role in microfluidic POC equipment, so that the microfluidic POC equipment has a wider range of applications
Boonkaew et al, developed a paper-based microfluidic that can simultaneously measure the levels of three essential cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) biomarkers: C-reactive protein (CRP), cTnI, and procalcitonin (PCT)
Medical detection in areas that lack resources is a cause for concern
Summary
Poverty is strongly related to chronic disease. Due to the lack of timely medical services in underdeveloped areas, some diseases may develop into chronic diseases, or existing chronic diseases may be left undiagnosed or not be subject to proper treatment [173]. According to the WHO, 80% of deaths caused by global chronic diseases occur in low- and middle-income countries [174]. Chronic diseases include all health problems that must be continually managed for at least six months. These diseases have a long duration, progress slowly, and do not spread from person to person. The treatment difficulty only increases as the disease progresses, making the timely detection of these diseases critical [176]
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