A new microfluidic chip can provide a visual readout of a patient’s COVID-19 antibody levels in less than an hour.
Unlike other antibody tests that measure immune protection against the disease, the new chip can be used outside of a laboratory. A set of microparticles bind to SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and are then sorted as they flow through a magnetic separator. Antibody-free particles accumulate behind a dam downstream of the separator, creating a line with a length that is inversely proportional to the amount of immune protection the patient has.
“The biggest advantage is we provide the quantitative results by providing visual results,” says study coauthor Ting-Hsuan Chen, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the City Univ. of Hong Kong. “People can read it just like a regular thermometer.”
The current gold standard for detecting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is ELISA, or the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. But there is a need for easy-to-use, inexpensive point-of-care devices, especially because antibody levels decline fairly rapidly after vaccination, leaving people vulnerable to infection, Chen says...
Would you like to access the complete CEP News Update?
No problem. You just have to complete the following steps.
You have completed 0 of 2 steps.
-
Log in
You must be logged in to view this content. Log in now.
-
AIChE Membership
You must be an AIChE member to view this article. Join now.
Copyright Permissions
Would you like to reuse content from CEP Magazine? It’s easy to request permission to reuse content. Simply click here to connect instantly to licensing services, where you can choose from a list of options regarding how you would like to reuse the desired content and complete the transaction.
