Thorapalli Muralidharan Seshagopalan, Hanze Martin, Ainla Alar, Möller Björn, Hamedi Mahiar Max, Toldrà Anna
Department of Engineering Design, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Brinellvägen 83, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Fiber and Polymer Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 56, 10044, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 12;15(1):32418. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12364-1.
Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) are powerful medical diagnostic tools for point-of-care (POC) and other field applications. However, traditional methods like quantitative PCR (qPCR) require complex, expensive equipment and trained operators, limiting their use to centralized labs. Isothermal alternatives, like Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), are better adapted for POC devices. Lab-on-PCB systems have the potential to overcome the challenges faced by conventional microfabrication-based systems. This study presents a novel lab-on-PCB device for nucleic acid amplification and electrochemical detection using reverse transcription LAMP (RT-LAMP) of SARS-CoV-2. The system consists of two disposable PCB-based chips making it close to zero cost. One PCB is for heating and nucleic acid amplification, while the other is for electrochemical detection using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) with a redox-active intercalator. The PCB slides are connected to a compact electronic device (< 10 USD) for controlling the heating and electroanalytical readout. Using this device, we achieved successful rapid (< 1.5 h) nucleic acid amplification and detection at a target concentration of 10 copies/reaction. This work represents a notable step toward developing integrated, portable NAAT devices for POC diagnostics.
核酸扩增检测（NAATs）是用于即时检测（POC）和其他现场应用的强大医学诊断工具。然而，像定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）这样的传统方法需要复杂、昂贵的设备以及经过培训的操作人员，这限制了它们仅能在集中式实验室中使用。等温扩增替代方法，如环介导等温扩增（LAMP），更适合用于即时检测设备。基于印刷电路板（PCB）的实验室系统有潜力克服传统微制造系统所面临的挑战。本研究展示了一种新型的基于印刷电路板的实验室设备，用于使用严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）的逆转录环介导等温扩增（RT-LAMP）进行核酸扩增和电化学检测。该系统由两个基于一次性印刷电路板的芯片组成，使其成本接近零。一个印刷电路板用于加热和核酸扩增，而另一个用于使用带有氧化还原活性嵌入剂的循环伏安法（CV）进行电化学检测。印刷电路板载片连接到一个紧凑的电子设备（<10美元），用于控制加热和电化学分析读数。使用该设备，我们在目标浓度为10拷贝/反应时成功实现了快速（<1.5小时）的核酸扩增和检测。这项工作朝着开发用于即时诊断的集成便携式核酸扩增检测设备迈出了重要一步。
