Point-of-care diagnostics with integrated reagents based on capillary-driven microfluidics

Abstract

We report the integration of capillary-driven microfluidic elements [1] with reagents into a chip for use in point-of-care diagnostics [2]. The chip functions without external pumps or power and only necessitates the addition of sample to perform a fluorescence sandwich surface immunoassay with signals read using peripheral equipment. C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of infection, inflammation or myocardial infarction, is detected in human serum rapidly (<15 min), using a droplet of sample (5 μL), and with a sensitivity below 1 ng mL-1 using accurately-defined signal areas. © 2009 CBMS.