Development of a New Lab-on-Paper Microfluidics Platform Using Bi-Material Cantilever Actuators for ELISA on Paper

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is a widely used immunoassay.
• Existing ELISA methods can be complex, time-consuming, and require significant user intervention.
• There is a need for simplified, cost-effective, and autonomous platforms for point-of-care diagnostics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, cost-effective, autonomous lab-on-paper microfluidics platform for performing ELISA.
• To integrate Bi-Material Cantilever Valves and a unique reagent delivery system for enhanced performance.
• To optimize the platform design for minimal variability and adherence to ASSURED principles for diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• A lab-on-paper microfluidics platform was designed using Bi-Material Cantilever Valves within a specialized housing.
• An innovative reagent storage and release mechanism was incorporated to minimize volume variability.
• A randomized design of experiment was employed to optimize fluid wicking times.
• The platform was tested for Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) of rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG).

Main Results:

• The developed platform performed ELISA autonomously with minimal user intervention.
• The system demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.27 ng/mL and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 8.33 ng/mL for rabbit IgG.
• This represents a 58% improvement in sensitivity compared to previous portable microfluidic ELISA methods for rabbit IgG detection.

Conclusions:

• The novel lab-on-paper microfluidics platform offers a cost-effective and autonomous solution for ELISA.
• The platform's design ensures minimal reagent variability and optimized fluid dynamics.
• This technology holds promise for improved point-of-care diagnostics, aligning with the WHO's ASSURED criteria.