Programmable Gravity Self-Driven Microfluidic Chip for Point-of-Care Multiplied Immunoassays

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is experiencing a groundbreaking transformation with microfluidic chips, which offer precise fluid control and manipulation at the microscale. Nevertheless, chip design or operation for existing platforms is rather cumbersome, with some even heavily depending on external drivers or devices, impeding their broader utilization. This study develops a unique programmable gravity self-driven microfluidic chip (PGSMC) capable of simultaneous multi-reagent sequential release, multi-target analysis, and multi-chip operation. All necessary reagents are introduced in a single step, and the process is initiated simply by flipping the PGSMC vertically, eliminating the need for additional steps or devices. Additionally, it demonstrates successful immunoassays in less than 60 min for antinuclear antibodies testing, compared to more than 120 min by traditional methods. Assessment using 25 clinically diagnosed cases showcases remarkable sensitivity (96%), specificity (100%), and accuracy (99%). These outcomes underscored its potential as a promising platform for POCT with high accuracy, speed, and reliability, highlighting its capability for automated fluid control. Overview of PGSMC for point-of-care multiplied immunoassays. It enables multi-reagent sequential release, multi-target analysis, and multi-chip operation with just a single flip. PGSMC achieves sample-to-answer immunoassays in less than 60 min, while eliminating the necessity for external equipment or specialized handling and making it more resource-efficient than traditional methods.image