Advances in paper-based point-of-care diagnostics

• Published in: Biosensors & bioelectronics 2014-04, Vol.54, p.585-597
• Main Authors: Hu, Jie, Wang, ShuQi, Wang, Lin, Li, Fei, Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda, Lu, Tian Jian, Xu, Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biosensing Techniques - instrumentation; Biosensing Techniques - methods; Biotechnology; Equipment Design; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - instrumentation; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; Microfluidics; Paper-based diagnostics; Point-of-care (POC); Point-of-Care Systems
• ISSN: 0956-5663; 1873-4235
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2013.10.075

Advanced diagnostic technologies, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), have been widely used in well-equipped laboratories. However, they are not affordable or accessible in resource-limited settings due to the lack of basic infrastructure and/or trained operators. Paper-based diagnostic technologies are affordable, user-friendly, rapid, robust, and scalable for manufacturing, thus holding great potential to deliver point-of-care (POC) diagnostics to resource-limited settings. In this review, we present the working principles and reaction mechanism of paper-based diagnostics, including dipstick assays, lateral flow assays (LFAs), and microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs), as well as the selection of substrates and fabrication methods. Further, we report the advances in improving detection sensitivity, quantification readout, procedure simplification and multi-functionalization of paper-based diagnostics, and discuss the disadvantages of paper-based diagnostics. We envision that miniaturized and integrated paper-based diagnostic devices with the sample-in-answer-out capability will meet the diverse requirements for diagnosis and treatment monitoring at the POC. •Chip-based and paper-based analytical devices are compared.•Substrates, fabrication methods, working principles and reaction mechanisms of paper-based diagnostic devices are presented.•Current advances and trends in development of paper-based diagnostics are reviewed.•Disadvantages of paper-based diagnostics are discussed.•Perspectives of paper-based diagnostics are envisioned.