Characterization of microfluidic components for low-cost point-of-care devices

Abstract

This paper presents the characterization of microfluidic components for the realization of low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices, with focus on full blood count applications. Increasing emphasis is being placed on low-cost point-of-care diagnostic systems, particularly in under-resourced settings to enable instant diagnosis and improve healthcare. Although numerous and varied advances in the field of microfluidics have enabled point-of-care systems to be realized, there is often a trade-off between cost and operational integrity of the device. This work addresses these limits by exploring the minimum requirements for microfluidic component complexity to achieve results equivalent to those of accepted standard techniques for blood cell counting applications.