A Versatile Paper /pdms Hybrid Microfluidic Biochip for Low-cost Global Infectious Diseases Diagnosis

We report a versatile and cost-effective paper/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybrid microfluidic device integrated with loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for the rapid, sensitive and instrument-free detection of the main meningitis-causing bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis). This hybrid system offers versatile functions, by providing not only on-site qualitative diagnostic analysis (i.e. a yes or no answer), but also confirmatory testing in clinical laboratory settings. We have achieved instrument-free direct pathogen detection without laborious sample preparation process or the use of centrifuges. The limit of detection of N. meningitidis is about 3 copies per LAMP zone within 45 minutes. This versatile paper/PDMS microfluidic platform has great potential for the point of care (POC) diagnosis of a wide range of infectious diseases, especially for developing countries.