Semi-quantitative detection of inflammatory biomarkers using a laser-patterned multiplexed lateral flow device.

Area of Science:

• Biomarker detection
• Medical diagnostics
• Point-of-care testing

Background:

• C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are key inflammatory markers for infection diagnosis.
• Rapid and accurate detection of CRP and PCT can improve patient triage and antibiotic stewardship.
• Current methods may lack the speed or multiplexing capability for efficient near-patient assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel multiplexed lateral flow device (LFD) for simultaneous, semi-quantitative detection of CRP and PCT.
• To enable rapid, near-patient assessment of inflammatory markers to guide clinical decisions.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using laser-based partitioning for creating multi-parallel flow-paths in LFDs.

Main Methods:

• A standard LFD was modified using laser-based partitioning to create multiple parallel flow-paths.
• Each flow-path was engineered for specific detection of CRP (20-100 μg/mL) and PCT (>0.5 ng/mL).
• The multiplexed LFD was tested for semi-quantitative detection of CRP and PCT in spiked human serum samples.

Main Results:

• Successful semi-quantitative detection of both CRP and PCT was achieved using the multiplexed LFD.
• The device demonstrated tailored detection capabilities for each biomarker within defined ranges.
• The assay proved effective in spiked human serum, validating its performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiplexed LFD offers a rapid, near-patient solution for assessing key inflammatory markers.
• This technology has significant potential to enhance triage speed and optimize antibiotic administration for suspected pneumonia.
• The novel LFD design advances point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases.