Lab-On-a-Chip Technology Cuts Cost of Sophisticated Tests for Diseases

A breakthrough device has been developed that can significantly reduce the cost of sophisticated laboratory tests for medical disorders and diseases, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Lyme disease and syphilis.

Immunoassays are widely utilized due to their ability to quantify a vast assortment of biomolecules relevant to clinical diagnostic and recently, immunoassay capabilities have been improved by the development of multiplex assays that simultaneously measure multiple analytes in a single sample.


Biomedical engineers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (USA) developed the lab-on-chip device, which employs microfluidics technology, along with making tests more affordable for patients and scientists. The device opens doors for new investigations because of its capability to perform complex analyses using 90% less sample fluid than needed in conventional tests. The breakthrough also requires one-tenth of the chemicals used in a conventional multiplex immunoassay, which can cost as much as USD 1, 500 and additionally, the device automates much of the skilled labor involved in performing tests.

The team developed a multiplex immunoassay possessing all of the essential characteristics using commercially available reagents, which allows the analytes of interest to be easily changed. The device presented can measure six proteins in 32 samples simultaneously using only 4.2 μL of sample volume. High quality standard curves are generated for all six analytes included in the analysis, and spiked samples are quantified throughout the working range of the assay. They were able to demonstrate a strong correlation between in vitro supernatant measurements using the device and those obtained from a bench-top multiplex immunoassay.

The scientists also described cytokine secretion in an in vitro inflammatory hippocampus culture system, establishing proof-of-concept of the ability to use this platform as an in vitro screening tool. The low-volume, multiplexing abilities of the microdevice described in the study could be broadly applied to numerous situations where sample volumes and costs are limiting.

Martin L. Yarmush, PhD, the distinguished professor of biomedical engineering, and senior author of the study said, “The results are as sensitive and accurate as the standard benchtop assay and with our technology, scientists will be able to perform large-scale controlled studies with comparable accuracy to conventional assay.” The study was originally published online on July 1, 2015, in the journal Lab on a Chip.

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Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey