Portable and Battery-Operated Lab-on-a-Chip

At a Glance

Researchers at Colorado State University have developed a fully portable lab-on-a-chip device for biological testing. This handheld system uses a technology called electro-wetting to move and mix liquids, enabling automated sample preparation like DNA isolation. The device is battery-powered, compact, programmable, and requiring a significantly less amount of reagents, making it ideal for field-based diagnostics and testing. This device could increase the accessibility of medical diagnostics in rural or remote areas, shorten the time-to-data for lab results, and decrease the need for sending expensive test requests to diagnostic centers.

Background

Sample preparation has typically been a limiting factor in medicine, often being time-consuming and costly due to reagents, time, and sample handling procedures. The complexity of such sample preparations, particularly with human-involved steps, usually requires sophisticated lab equipment for dispensing, mixing, and storage. This innovation integrates all necessary components into a compact, low-cost, and portable system, addressing a critical gap in Point-of-Care (POC) technology.

Overview

This handheld device is built on electro-wetting microfluidics, a technique that uses electrical signals to move and control droplets of liquid. Unlike existing systems that depend on benchtop equipment, this device is fully self-contained, with a rechargeable battery, built-in microprocessor, a friendly user-interface, and high-voltage drivers for droplet control. It can perform a complete DNA isolation protocol on a small disposable cartridge, with preloaded reagents and programmable settings. The device consumes less than 100 milliwatts of power, allowing it to operate continuously for up to 80 hours on a single charge. Its compact size (approximately 11 cm × 8 cm × 4 cm) makes it practical for handheld use. This device could perform several tests or diagnostics and would greatly reduce the burden in rural medicine on lab and personnel costs. The chips and the associated cartridges are disposable and could be created for various diagnostic needs. This technology can also integrate with CSU’s Ussing Chamber Technologies (2019-084 and 2024-049), and Smart-Well Devices (2019-079).