Scalable COVID-19 Detection Enabled by Lab-on-Chip Biosensors.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates rapid, accurate, point-of-care diagnostic solutions.
• Current global testing capacity is insufficient to meet projected demands for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• The need for scalable diagnostic tools is critical for public health responses and reopening strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the development of lab-on-chip biosensing platforms for COVID-19 diagnosis.
• To highlight the advantages of lab-on-chip technologies for pandemic response.
• To serve as a resource for future innovations in COVID-19 detection assays.

Main Methods:

• Review of magnetic, colorimetric, plasmonic, electrical, and lateral flow lab-on-chip technologies.
• Focus on rapid, point-of-care devices for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• Evaluation of technologies as alternatives to RT-PCR.

Main Results:

• Lab-on-chip technologies offer low-cost, rapid sample-to-answer processing.
• These platforms can be easily integrated into various healthcare settings.
• Various lab-on-chip approaches show promise for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.

Conclusions:

• Lab-on-chip biosensors represent a promising alternative to traditional RT-PCR for COVID-19 diagnostics.
• These technologies are suitable for large-scale deployment and point-of-care applications.
• Further development of these assays can significantly enhance global diagnostic capabilities.