CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.
Lab Chip. 2017 Jun 27;17(13):2225-2234. doi: 10.1039/c7lc00249a.
Microfluidic platforms capable of automated, rapid, sensitive, and quantitative detection of biomarkers from patient samples could make a major impact on clinical or point-of-care (POC) diagnosis. In this work, we realize an automated diagnostic platform composed of two main components: (1) a disposable, self-contained, and integrated microfluidic chip and (2) a portable instrument that carries out completely automated operations. To demonstrate its potential for real-world application, we use injection molding for mass fabrication of the main components of disposable microfluidic chips. The assembled three-layered chip with on-chip mechanical valves for fluid control consists of (1) a top silicone fluidic layer with embedded zigzag microchannels, reagent reservoirs and a negative pressure port, (2) a middle tinfoil layer with patterned antibody/antigen stripes, and (3) a bottom silicone substrate layer with waste reservoirs. The versatility of the microfluidics-based system is demonstrated by implementation of a chemiluminescence immunoassay for quantitative detection of C-reactive protein (CRP) and testosterone in real clinical samples. This lab-on-a-chip platform with features of quantitation, portability and automation provides a promising strategy for POC diagnosis.
微流控平台能够自动、快速、灵敏、定量地检测来自患者样本的生物标志物，这可能会对临床或即时诊断（POC）产生重大影响。在这项工作中，我们实现了一个由两个主要部分组成的自动化诊断平台：（1）一次性、自包含、集成的微流控芯片；（2）一种用于执行完全自动化操作的便携式仪器。为了展示其在实际应用中的潜力，我们使用注塑成型技术大规模制造一次性微流控芯片的主要部件。组装好的三层芯片具有用于流体控制的片上机械阀，由（1）顶部带有嵌入式之字形微通道、试剂储存器和负压端口的硅酮流体层，（2）带有图案化抗体/抗原条带的中间锡箔层，和（3）带有废物储存器的底部硅酮基底层组成。通过在真实临床样本中实施化学发光免疫分析来定量检测 C 反应蛋白（CRP）和睾酮，展示了基于微流控的系统的多功能性。这种具有定量、便携性和自动化功能的芯片实验室平台为即时诊断提供了一种很有前途的策略。
