Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India.
Sci Rep. 2019 May 27;9(1):7896. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44455-1.
Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) have provided a breakthrough in portable and low-cost point-of-care diagnostics. Despite their significant scope, the complexity of fabrication and reliance on expensive and sophisticated tools, have limited their outreach and possibility of commercialization. Herein, we report for the first time, a facile method to fabricate µPADs using a commonly available laser printer which drastically reduces the cost and complexity of fabrication. Toner ink is used to pattern the µPADs by printing, without modifying any factory configuration of the laser printer. Hydrophobic barriers are created by heating the patterned paper which melts the toner ink, facilitating its wicking into the cross-section of the substrate. Further, we demonstrate the utilization of the fabricated device by performing two assays. The proposed technique provides a versatile platform for rapid prototyping of µPADs with significant prospect in both developed and resource constrained region.
微流控纸基分析器件（µPADs）在便携式和低成本即时诊断方面取得了突破。尽管它们具有重要的应用前景，但由于制造工艺复杂且依赖昂贵和复杂的工具，限制了它们的推广和商业化的可能性。在这里，我们首次报道了一种使用常见的激光打印机制造 µPADs 的简便方法，该方法大大降低了制造的成本和复杂性。通过打印，使用墨粉油墨对 µPADs 进行图案化，而无需对激光打印机的任何工厂配置进行修改。通过加热图案化的纸张来创建疏油屏障，使墨粉油墨熔化，从而促进其进入基底的横截面。此外，我们通过进行两项测定来演示所制造器件的利用。所提出的技术为 µPADs 的快速原型制作提供了一个通用平台，在发达地区和资源有限的地区都具有广阔的前景。
