A multi-channel smartphone-based spectroscopic system for high-throughput biosensing in low-resource settings

Area of Science:

• Spectroscopy
• Point-of-care diagnostics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Primary healthcare centers (PHC) are crucial for early disease diagnosis in low-resource settings.
• Existing point-of-care systems often lack high-throughput capabilities needed for batch sample processing.
• Skilled personnel and consumable limitations in PHCs necessitate efficient diagnostic solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-throughput, multi-channel smartphone-based spectroscopic system for point-of-care diagnostics.
• To enable rapid, simultaneous detection of multiple samples in resource-limited environments.
• To improve the accessibility and efficiency of laboratory services in primary healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A smartphone-based spectroscopic system utilizing line-beam illumination was designed.
• A 3D-printed microfluidic device was developed for sample handling.
• A dedicated smartphone application was created for real-time spectral data processing and result interpretation.

Main Results:

• The system achieved high-throughput sensing with 15 simultaneous detection channels.
• Bland-Altman analysis confirmed performance comparable to laboratory spectrophotometers.
• The device demonstrated real-time data processing and result delivery via a smartphone app.

Conclusions:

• The developed smartphone spectroscopic system offers a portable, affordable solution for high-throughput diagnostics.
• This technology can significantly enhance laboratory service capabilities in primary healthcare centers with limited infrastructure.
• Rapid, multi-sample detection facilitates timely patient diagnosis, especially during disease outbreaks.