Simple telemedicine for developing regions: Camera phones and paper-based microfluidic devices for real-time, off-site diagnosis
Simple telemedicine for developing regions: Camera phones and paper-based microfluidic devices for real-time, off-site diagnosis
复制标题
DOI：
10.1021/ac800112r
复制
发表时间：
2008-05-15
影响因子：
7.4
通讯作者：
Whitesides, George M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Martinez, Andres W.;Phillips, Scott T.;Whitesides, George M.
本文描述了一个用于量化生物检测并与位于异地的医生以数字方式交换检测结果的原型系统。该系统使用纸基微流控设备同时运行多个分析，使用照相手机或便携式扫描仪将与每个比色分析相关联的颜色强度数字化，并建立了通信基础设施，用于将数字信息从分析现场传输到非现场实验室，由训练有素的医疗专业人员进行分析；然后，诊断可以直接返回现场的医疗保健提供者。微流控器件是用光刻技术在纸上制作的，并用试剂功能化，用于比色分析。通过比较每次分析中显色的强度与校准曲线的颜色强度，对检测结果进行量化。该系统的一个例子量化了人工尿中与临床相关的葡萄糖和蛋白质浓度。图案纸、用于获得数字图像的便携式方法和用于与非现场诊断人员交换分析结果的方法的组合为廉价的健康监测提供了新的机会，特别是在需要医生前往患者那里(例如，在发展中国家、急救管理中以及在军队的野战行动期间)以获得诊断信息的情况下，这些诊断信息可能由价值较低的人员更有效地获得。
This article describes a prototype system for quantifying bioassays and for exchanging the results of the assays digitally with physicians located off-site. The system uses paper-based microfluidic devices for running multiple assays simultaneously, camera phones or portable scanners for digitizing the intensity of color associated with each colorimetric assay, and established communications infrastructure for transferring the digital information from the assay site to an off-site laboratory for analysis by a trained medical professional; the diagnosis then can be returned directly to the healthcare provider in the field. The microfluidic devices were fabricated in paper using photolithography and were functionalized with reagents for colorimetric assays. The results of the assays were quantified by comparing the intensities of the color developed in each assay with those of calibration curves. An example of this system quantified clinically relevant concentrations of glucose and protein in artificial urine. The combination of patterned paper, a portable method for obtaining digital images, and a method for exchanging results of the assays with off-site diagnosticians offers new opportunities for inexpensive monitoring of health, especially in situations that require physicians to travel to patients (e.g., in the developing world, in emergency management, and during field operations by the military) to obtain diagnostic information that might be obtained more effectively by less valuable personnel.