CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS ON HUMAN WHOLE BLOOD, PLASMA, SERUM, URINE, SALIVA, SWEAT, AND TEARS ON A DIGITAL MICROFLUIDIC PLATFORM

TLDR

The study introduces an electrowetting‑based digital microfluidic device for clinical diagnostics across multiple human physiological fluids. The device achieves repeatable high‑speed microdroplet transport of whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva, sweat, and tears, and performs a calorimetric enzyme‑kinetic glucose assay on serum, plasma, urine, and saliva, with results compared to a reference method. Glucose measurements largely agree with reference methods, except for urine, and the results demonstrate the feasibility of electrowetting‑based lab‑on‑chip diagnostics.

Abstract

We present the use of an electrowetting-based “digital” microfluidic device for clinical diagnostics on human physiological fluids. Repeatable high-speed transport of microdroplets of human whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva, sweat and tears, is first shown, to establish the compatibility of these fluids with the electrowetting system. A calorimetric enzyme-kinetic glucose assay is then performed on serum, plasma, urine, and saliva, and the results compared with those obtained using a reference methodology. The values obtained agree well, expect for urine where there is a noticeable difference. The initial results demonstrate the feasibility of using an electrowetting-based lab-on-chip for clinical diagnostics.