Measurement of the hematocrit using paper-based microfluidic devices

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Accurate blood cell quantification is vital for patient health assessment.
• Existing hematology analyzers are often inaccessible in limited-resource settings.
• Paper-based microfluidic devices offer a promising platform for point-of-care diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-cost, paper-based microfluidic device for measuring hematocrit.
• To enable controlled transport and analysis of red blood cells (RBCs) at the point-of-care.
• To address the gap in cell analysis for paper-based diagnostic tools.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a thermometer-styled paper-based microfluidic device.
• Investigation of paper properties, device treatments, and geometry for RBC transport.
• Quantification of hematocrit based on the distance traveled by RBCs.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated controlled transport of red blood cells (RBCs) on a paper device.
• Developed an inexpensive device (US$0.03 per unit) for hematocrit measurement.
• Established a proportional relationship between RBC travel distance and hematocrit levels.

Conclusions:

• The developed paper-based microfluidic device is a cost-effective solution for hematocrit measurement.
• This technology can be adapted for cell separation and detection in resource-limited environments.
• Provides a foundation for advancing point-of-care diagnostics for blood cell analysis.