Capillary-driven blood separation and in-situ electrochemical detection based on 3D conductive gradient hollow fiber...

It is essential to develop portable, versatile, and reliable diagnostic devices in point-of-care testing (POCT). The detection of biomarkers requires selective separation and large specific surface for high sensitivity and accuracy at trace levels in whole blood samples using POCT devices. Herein, a kind of 3D electrochemical biosensors were designed via in-situ synthesizing polyaniline (PANI) and platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) on polysulfone hollow fiber membrane (HFM) scaffolds with gradient porous structure. The gradient porous HFMs scaffolds provide uniform capillary flow, self-driven blood separation and sufficient enzyme immobilization sites. Simultaneously, the in-situ deposited materials fulfill interconnected conductive networks, thus ensuring accurate and rapid detection of the sensors without hindering capillary progress. These sensors display ultralow sampling (~3 μL), fast fluid flow (>1 μL/ms), wide linear range (glucose: 0-24 mM, R²=0.992; cholesterol: 0-9 mM, R²=0.999), high sensitivity and accuracy especially under different hematocrits in POCT applications towards glucose and cholesterol. The innovative integration of POCT biosensors with interconnected conductive nanoparticles, selective blood separation and gradient porous structures can find wide application in resource-limited regions, large population screening, and public health emergencies.