An inexpensive thread-based system for simple and rapid blood grouping.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Clinical Diagnostics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Traditional blood grouping methods can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.
• There is a need for rapid, low-cost, and accessible blood grouping techniques, especially for resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of thread as a flexible, low-cost substrate for rapid blood grouping.
• To develop a simple, field-deployable method for determining ABO and Rh blood groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the principle of capillary action and flow resistance in narrow channels for separating agglutinated red blood cells (RBCs) from plasma.
• Employed chromatographic separation principles with dyes for enhanced visual detection of blood components.
• Developed a thread-based device for blood grouping analysis.

Main Results:

• Successfully determined ABO and Rh blood groups using only 2 μL of whole blood.
• Achieved accurate blood grouping results within 1 minute without prior blood sample pre-treatment.
• Demonstrated a novel separation mechanism based on capillary wicking and particle separation.

Conclusions:

• Thread serves as a promising, inexpensive substrate for rapid blood grouping.
• The developed method offers a simple, fast, and effective blood grouping platform suitable for developing and remote regions.
• This approach has the potential to significantly improve accessibility to blood typing diagnostics globally.