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Microfluidic diagnostic technologies for global public health

Nature volume 442, pages 412–418 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The developing world does not have access to many of the best medical diagnostic technologies; they were designed for air-conditioned laboratories, refrigerated storage of chemicals, a constant supply of calibrators and reagents, stable electrical power, highly trained personnel and rapid transportation of samples. Microfluidic systems allow miniaturization and integration of complex functions, which could move sophisticated diagnostic tools out of the developed-world laboratory. These systems must be inexpensive, but also accurate, reliable, rugged and well suited to the medical and social contexts of the developing world.

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Figure 1: Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for infectious and parasitic diseases.
Figure 2: Two typical laboratories in mid-level healthcare centres in the developing world.
Figure 3: Rapid immunochromatographic strip (ICS) tests for sexually transmitted infections.
Figure 4: Schematic of an H-filter.
Figure 5: Example of an integrated disposable diagnostic card.
Figure 6: Quantification of a competitive immunoassay for phenytoin using surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

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Acknowledgements

We thank our colleagues at PATH, Micronics, Nanogen, Invetech, the University of Washington, Seattle, and Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, for their many contributions to ongoing and past projects, and our funding sources, currently including the National Institutes of Health (the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Thanks to colleagues at PATH for the photographs of laboratories in the developing world.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Box 355061, Seattle, 98195, Washington, USA

    Paul Yager, Thayne Edwards, Elain Fu, Kristen Helton & Kjell Nelson

  2. 7501 21st Avenue NE, Seattle, 98115, Washington, USA

    Milton R. Tam

  3. PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), 1455 NW Leary Way, Seattle, 98107, Washington, USA

    Bernhard H. Weigl

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Correspondence to Paul Yager.

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Competing interests

P. Yager has stock options in Micronics Inc. and serves as a consultant to that company. He is also an inventor on University of Washington patents that have been licensed to Micronics. P.Y. receives research funding from PATH through a grant on which B. Weigl is Principal Investigator. B. Weigl has stock options in Micronics, Inc. He is also an inventor on patents that have been licensed to Micronics or are owned by Micronics. B.W. receives research funding from the University of Washington through a grant on which P.Y. is Principal Investigator.

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Yager, P., Edwards, T., Fu, E. et al. Microfluidic diagnostic technologies for global public health. Nature 442, 412–418 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05064

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