Microfluidic System Based on Flexible Structures for Point-of-Care Device Diagnostics with Electrochemical Detection

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Biosensor Technology

Background:

• Infectious diseases present a significant public health concern, exacerbated by pandemics.
• The need for rapid, accessible diagnostics at the point-of-care (POC) is critical.
• Conventional diagnostic methods often lack the speed and portability required for immediate public health response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated, flexible POC diagnostic system for rapid detection of *Corynebacterium diphtheriae*.
• To combine microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (micro-PCR) with an electrochemical DNA biosensor on flexible substrates.
• To address challenges in microsystem design for efficient and portable infectious agent detection.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microfluidic PCR device and an electrochemical DNA biosensor on flexible substrates.
• Utilizing rapid DNA amplification via micro-PCR to overcome conventional thermocycler limitations.
• Employing specific molecular recognition and electrochemical transduction for sensitive DNA fragment detection.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective amplification and detection of a gene fragment from a toxic strain of *C. diphtheriae*.
• The integrated system achieved rapid, on-site detection of the target pathogen.
• Successfully addressed microsystem design challenges including flow control and material compatibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed flexible, integrated microfluidic and biosensor platform is feasible for rapid, on-site infectious agent detection.
• The system's modularity and scalability support adaptation for detecting a wide range of pathogens.
• This approach provides a foundation for next-generation POC diagnostic tools in global health.