A simple point-of-care microfluidic immunomagnetic fluorescence assay for pathogens

Anal Chem. 2013 Mar 5;85(5):2645-51. doi: 10.1021/ac302903p. Epub 2013 Feb 22.

Abstract

In this work, we reported a simple rapid and point-of-care magnetic immunofluorescence assay for avian influenza virus (AIV) and developed a portable experimental setup equipped with an optical fiber spectrometer and a microfluidic device. We achieved the integration of immunomagnetic target capture, concentration, and fluorescence detection in the microfluidic chip. By optimizing flow rate and incubation time, we could get a limit of detection low up to 3.7 × 10(4) copy/μL with a sample consumption of 2 μL and a total assay time of less than 55 min. This approach had proved to possess high portability, fast analysis, high specificity, high precision, and reproducibility with an intra-assay variability of 2.87% and an interassay variability of 4.36%. As a whole, this microfluidic system may provide a powerful platform for the rapid detection of AIV and may be extended for detection of other viral pathogens; in addition, this portable experimental setup enables the development of point-of-care diagnostic systems while retaining adequate sensitivity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Immunomagnetic Separation / instrumentation*
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / isolation & purification
  • Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype / isolation & purification
  • Influenza A virus / isolation & purification*
  • Limit of Detection
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Optical Fibers
  • Point-of-Care Systems*
  • Quantum Dots
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Time Factors