Abstract
The field of microfluidics has yet to develop practical devices that provide real clinical value. One of the main reasons for this is the difficulty in realizing low-cost, sensitive, reproducible, and portable analyte detection microfluidic systems. Previous research has addressed two main approaches for the detection technologies in lab-on-a-chip devices: (a) study of the compatibility of conventional instrumentation with microfluidic structures, and (b) integration of innovative sensors contained within the microfluidic system. Despite the recent advances in electrochemical and mechanical based sensors, their drawbacks pose important challenges to their application in disposable microfluidic devices. Instead, optical detection remains an attractive solution for lab-on-a-chip devices, because of the ubiquity of the optical methods in the laboratory. Besides, robust and cost-effective devices for use in the field can be realized by integrating proper optical detection technologies on chips. This review examines the recent developments in detection technologies applied to microfluidic biosensors, especially addressing several optical methods, including fluorescence, chemiluminescence, absorbance and surface plasmon resonance.
Highlights
Detection of pathogenic organisms, hormones, or other medically relevant analytes still demands the development of innovative analytical devices with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, precision, speed and usability
Lasers, spectrophotometers, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) can be precisely coupled to Lab-on-a Chip (LOC) [12,39,40,41,42,43], these systems are difficult to miniaturize into low-cost, portable detection devices
On-chip complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) and silicon photodetectors are capable of providing high detection sensitivity for low analyte concentration; these detectors are too expensive and complicated to fabricate as an integral part of a disposable sensor
Summary
Hormones, or other medically relevant analytes still demands the development of innovative analytical devices with enhanced sensitivity, specificity, precision, speed and usability Analysis of these analytes in the laboratory is still common practice. A variety of academic proof-of-concept studies have shown the advantages of LOC systems over laboratory tests [1,2,3,4,5] These advantages include reduced sample and reagent consumption, automation, and fast detection times. Schwarz and Hauser [12] have addressed the value of electrochemical and optical architectures for designing sensitive microfluidic analytical systems These detection architectures were further reviewed by Mogensen et al [13]. A review of popular microfluidic detection technologies reported in the past five years is presented
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