A Disposable Microfluidic Virus Concentration Device Based on Evaporation and Interfacial Tension

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Virology

Background:

• Accurate viral detection relies on sufficient viral load.
• Current concentration methods can be time-consuming and require specialized equipment.
• Point-of-care diagnostics require rapid sample preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, low-cost, and effective microfluidic device for concentrating viruses from human nasopharyngeal specimens.
• To evaluate the device's performance in increasing viral concentration for downstream diagnostic applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a disposable polymeric microfluidic device using 3D maskless xurography.
• Concentration of influenza virus from clinical nasopharyngeal swab specimens.
• Evaluation of viral RNA concentration using nucleic acid extraction and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Main Results:

• The microfluidic device concentrated viral samples over 10-fold in under 30 minutes without centrifugation.
• Recovery efficiencies exceeded 60% across all tested input concentrations.
• The device demonstrated effective concentration for both cultured and patient-derived specimens.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic device offers a highly effective and rapid method for viral sample concentration.
• This technology can significantly improve the sensitivity and speed of diagnostic platforms.
• The disposable, low-cost nature of the device facilitates its use in various settings, including point-of-care diagnostics.