Efficient Microfluidic-Based Air Sampling/Monitoring Platform for Detection of Aerosol SARS-CoV-2 On-site

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microfluidics
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Airborne pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, pose significant infectious disease risks.
• Effective on-site monitoring is crucial for controlling the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a small-volume, rotating microfluidic fluorescence system for rapid on-site sampling and detection of airborne SARS-CoV-2.
• To assess the system's sensitivity, specificity, and precision compared to established methods like reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Main Methods:

• Construction of a microfluidic fluorescence chip-integrated aerosol sampling system for SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• Performance evaluation including sensitivity (detection limit), Ct value, precision (CV%), specificity, and testing of clinical samples.
• Validation of microfluidic chip performance by the Shanghai Medical Device Testing Institute.

Main Results:

• The system achieved a high sensitivity with a detection limit of 10 copies/μL and a short Ct value of 15 min.
• Demonstrated excellent precision with within/between-batch variation coefficients (CV%) ≤ 5.0%.
• Tested on 115 clinical samples, the integrated system showed 100% specificity and high sensitivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic fluorescence system enables rapid on-site monitoring and diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid.
• This technology offers a sensitive, specific, and precise solution for early detection and control of airborne SARS-CoV-2.
• The system's performance is comparable to RT-PCR, providing a valuable tool for public health surveillance.