Electro-kinetically driven route for highly sensitive blood pathology on a paper-based device.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Background:

• Frugal diagnosis relies on sensitive and low-cost detection methods.
• Paper-based devices offer a promising platform for accessible diagnostics.
• Enhancing sensitivity in paper devices is crucial for accurate disease detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the sensitivity of colorimetric detection in paper-based devices.
• To investigate electro-kinetic mechanisms for enhancing glucose detection.
• To validate the approach using blood plasma samples.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electro-kinetic clustering of glucose in paper strips under a uniform electric field.
• Employed blood plasma directly for analysis.
• Leveraged the combined effects of electroosmotic flow (EOF) and electrophoretic migration.

Main Results:

• Achieved a twofold increase in color intensity for glucose detection.
• Demonstrated enhanced sensitivity compared to conventional colorimetric assays.
• Validated the robustness of the electro-kinetic approach.

Conclusions:

• Electro-kinetic mechanisms effectively enhance sensitivity in paper-based diagnostic devices.
• This method offers a significant improvement for frugal and point-of-care diagnostics.
• The approach is adaptable for diagnosing other biomarkers in various body fluids.