Portable point-of-care diagnostic devices

Abstract

The detection of specific species of interest (i.e., analytes) in samples (blood, urine, saliva, water, and food) at low concentrations is of utmost importance for improving human health and maintaining a high quality of life. While this is mostly achievable in lab-based settings found in the developed world, this is a major hurdle to overcome in resource-limited regions found in developing countries. Therefore, new technologies capable of detecting analytes in these challenging regions need to be developed. This review details the development of point-of-care diagnostics for detecting DNA, proteins, bacteria/pathogens, and other species that show promise for solving this major health issue, and improving the quality of life for those in the developing world.