Abstract
The development is reported of an ultra-rapid, point-of-care diagnostic device which harnesses surface acoustic wave (SAW) biochips, to detect HIV in a finger prick of blood within 10 seconds (sample-in-result-out). The disposable quartz biochip, based on microelectronic components found in every consumer smartphone, is extremely fast because no complex labelling, amplification or wash steps are needed. A pocket-sized control box reads out the SAW signal and displays results electronically. High analytical sensitivity and specificity are found with model and real patient blood samples. The findings presented here open up the potential of consumer electronics to cut lengthy test waiting times, giving patients on the spot access to potentially life-saving treatment and supporting more timely public health interventions to prevent disease transmission.
Highlights
Ebola and Zika viruses offer a stark reminder that infectious diseases rank among the gravest threats to human health, and can spread rapidly and unpredictably
If a biomarker of HIV is present in a finger prick of blood, it binds to the capture proteins on the surface of the biochip. This gives rise to a perturbation of mass and viscoelasticity which can be readily detected by the phase change of the SH-surface acoustic wave (SAW) - the difference in wave phase measured in degrees (°) between the input and the output electrodes (Δφ, Fig. 1e)
Our findings show how SAW-based diagnostic devices can be used to rapidly detect biomarkers of HIV infection in model and patient samples with high sensitivity
Summary
Ebola and Zika viruses offer a stark reminder that infectious diseases rank among the gravest threats to human health, and can spread rapidly and unpredictably. It is notoriously difficult to interpret a faint lateral flow test line by eye, for non-experts (e.g. self-testers)[1] Those tests that are currently available are insensitive to recent (acute) infections[7] and lack the ability to automatically capture test results electronically, risking an incorrect reading, missed opportunities to link patients to care pathways and potential data loss for public health (e.g. during an Ebola outbreak)[8]. There have been a number of advances recently in the field of smartphone-connected diagnostics, both with in vivo and in vitro testing, using either the built-in smartphone sensors or their data transmission capabilities to link with existing diagnostic systems[14] They include a smartphone-based system to monitor changes in pH in sweat or saliva, using disposable strips;[15] colorimetric rapid quantification of vitamin D levels, using the built-in smartphone camera, paper strips and image analysis algorithms;[16] as well as a more general smartphone-based reader for lateral flow immunochromatic assays[17]. SAW microelectronic filters, found within every smartphone, are transformed into biochips which can directly detect disease biomarkers in bodily fluids such as blood
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