Low-Cost, User-Friendly, All-Integrated Smartphone-Based Microplate Reader for Optical-Based Biological and Chemical...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Quantitative molecular target detection is crucial for healthcare and environmental monitoring.
• Current bioanalytical methods are either point-of-care (PoC) with limited sensitivity/specificity or laboratory-based with complex instrumentation.
• A need exists for accessible, sensitive, and specific molecular detection methods in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable, smartphone-based device for laboratory-quality optical analyses at the point of care.
• To create a low-cost, user-friendly platform supporting diverse bioanalytical techniques.
• To enable high-precision molecular quantification outside traditional laboratory environments.

Main Methods:

• Designed and fabricated a portable microplate reader integrated with smartphone capabilities.
• The device supports multiple optical detection methods: colorimetric, fluorescence, luminescence, and turbidity.
• Analytical performance was validated using various molecular targets including antibodies, toxins, drugs, and dyes.

Main Results:

• The smartphone-based microplate reader demonstrated comparable analytical performance to a commercial instrument.
• Successful detection of diverse molecular targets was achieved, validating the device's versatility.
• The device is low-cost (<$300), portable, and utilizes readily available components.

Conclusions:

• The developed smartphone-based microplate reader effectively bridges the gap between laboratory precision and point-of-care accessibility.
• This technology offers a viable solution for bringing advanced bioanalytical capabilities to resource-limited settings.
• The open-source, low-cost nature promotes widespread adoption for molecular diagnostics and environmental monitoring.