Microfluidics for easier disease testing

At the American Chemical Society Fall 2024 meeting, members of Chuck Henry’s research group at Colorado State University presented two prototype rapid home disease tests. These devices are similar to COVID-19 home tests, promising high sensitivity and ease of use for consumers. In one session, PhD student Elijah Barstis presented a microfluidics-based test for diagnosing bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Later, PhD student Trey Pittman presented a similar device for monitoring biomarkers of heart failure following a doctor’s diagnosis. Both devices have similar designs and user inputs. “You take a sample, dip it in a buffer, add a couple drops into the device itself, and then after 15 to 20 minutes, you’ll have a visual readout,” Barstis said. The liquid sample moves via capillary action, along the way mixing with reagents to automate steps traditionally performed during laboratory diagnostics. For the STI test, antibodies bind to proteins on the surface