SBIR Phase II: Reel-to-Reel Assembly of Lab-on-a-Film Diagnostic Tests

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is designed to investigate the feasibility of manufacturing a Lab-on-a-Film? microarray device on a reel-to-reel assembly line. Reel-to-reel manufacturing has the potential to drastically reduce device cost because hundreds of parts per hour can be assembled. The goal of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing valve-less molecular lateral flow cells for gel drop microarrays using reel-to-reel assembly equipment. At the conclusion of this project, the goal is to demonstrate feasibility by positively identifying clinical samples for infectious disease on reel-to-reel manufactured Lab-on-a-Film? assemblies. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the potential to distribute quality diagnostics to an expanded population. With cost being such an important factor in today?s healthcare system, the need to investigate new avenues for offering quality diagnostics arises with increasing urgency. This challenge may become a catalyst for a new multiplexing paradigm in molecular diagnostics. A range of possibilities apply to this paradigm such as infectious disease testing for multiple organisms, pathogenic genotyping, genetic testing, forensics, environmental screening, agriculture testing, and biodefense applications. Addressing not only the usability of the end test, but also the manufacturing process is a means to be competitive in a 50 billion dollar global diagnostics market space.