Digital droplet microfluidic integrated Lab-in-a-fiber detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is a well-established microfluidic platform that allows the miniaturization of chemical and biological processes onto a single unit. Minimal sample and reagent consumption, the potential for multiplexing, rapid analysis, and portability are some of the key advantages of LOC. However, the chips typically need to be integrated with bulky and expensive external optics. Alternatively, silica fibers and capillaries offer opportunities for more compact integration of optics with microfluidics while adding advantages such as; flexibility within a high aspect ratio format, uniaxial arrangements, and measurement-at-a-distance.