Disposable Point of Care multiplexed plasmonic biosensor for rapid and specific identification of respiratory viruses

The rapid spread of respiratory viruses and their similar symptomatology pose significant challenges for early diagnosis, transmission control, and effective clinical management. We introduce a multianalyte diagnostic platform based on plasmonics for the rapid identification, discrimination, and quantification of viral antigens for the most common respiratory viruses (SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B, and RSV) in nasopharyngeal swabs. The biosensor chips are functionalized with four specific antibodies targeting viral nucleoproteins and are integrated into a single-use microfluidic cartridge, reaching low detection limits (ng/mL level). A clinical validation with positive and negative samples (n = 46) demonstrates an excellent correlation with PCR-based molecular tests. Furthermore, the novel diagnostic platform exhibits high sensitivity (97.22%) and specificity (100%), overcoming limitations associated with rapid antigen tests. Together with its accuracy and user-friendly design, our multibiosensor is positioned as a disruptive diagnostic tool for rapid and multiplexed diagnosis of viral infections at the point-of-care.