Detection of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Using Photonic Point-of-Care Devices

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Infectious Disease Diagnostics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses pose significant global health threats, necessitating rapid and accurate diagnostic methods.
• Conventional diagnostic techniques often involve costly equipment, long wait times, and specialized personnel, limiting their accessibility, especially in resource-limited settings.
• The emergence of pandemics like COVID-19 highlights the critical need for accessible and immediate diagnostic solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in novel point-of-care (POC) technologies for the rapid detection of bacterial and viral infections.
• To highlight how these POC devices are transforming modern healthcare diagnostics.
• To discuss the integration of plasmonics and microfluidics in developing sensitive and portable diagnostic platforms.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on point-of-care diagnostic technologies.
• Focus on plasmonics and microfluidics-based platforms for pathogen detection.
• Integration of mobile readers and imaging systems for enhanced POC diagnostics.

Main Results:

• POC devices based on plasmonics and microfluidics demonstrate rapid and sensitive pathogen detection capabilities.
• These devices offer advantages such as low cost, portability, and ease of use, enabling on-site testing.
• Recent technological breakthroughs are making POC diagnostics more accessible and effective worldwide.

Conclusions:

• Novel point-of-care technologies are crucial for the timely diagnosis of bacterial and viral infections.
• The development of low-cost, portable, and rapid diagnostic tools is essential for global health security.
• These advancements represent a significant breakthrough in making infectious disease diagnostics more accessible and efficient across diverse healthcare settings.