An innovative sample-to-answer polymer lab-on-a-chip with on-chip reservoirs for the POCT of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)

Abstract

A new sample-to-answer polymer lab-on-a-chip, which can perform immunoassay with minimum user intervention through on-chip reservoirs for reagents and single-channel assay system, has been designed, developed and successfully characterized as a point-of-care testing (POCT) cartridge for the detection of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Test results were obtained within 30 minutes after a sample was dropped into the POCT cartridge. The analyzed results of TSH showed a linear range of up to 55 μIU mL⁻¹ with the limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 μIU mL⁻¹ at the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3. The reagents stored in the on-chip reservoirs maintained more than 97% of their initial volume for 120 days of storage time while the detection antibody retained its activity above 98% for 120 days. The sample-to-answer polymer lab-on-a-chip developed in this work using the mass-producible and low-cost polymer is well suited for the point-of-care testing of rapid in vitro diagnostics (IVD) of TSH.