Paper-based and capillary-driven microfluidics platforms for allergy tests

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Allergies are a pervasive problem that affects more than 60 million North Americans. The standard test is the skin prick method, where a doctor places various allergens on the skin and pricks the skin with a needle to induce an allergic reaction. The reaction can be severely irritating with both swelling and itching. Many patients (especially children) find the skin prick test invasive and uncomfortable, and some are not suitable candidates. The proposed research will contribute to the development of a safe, simple and certain skin patch that ensures patients are diagnosed as quickly and comfortably as possible, which will increase testing and keep patients informed of their allergic conditions.The objective of the proposed research is to utilize capillary-driven microfluidic strategies, such as flow through paper and thread-based devices and electrochemistry, to develop a skin patch that can be commercialized by our industrial partner, ExVivo Labs Inc. The strategies will help to isolate and concentrate the chemicals found in patient samples to enable detection of allergic conditions even in small volumes of sample fluid. The patient samples will be interstitial fluid, which can be collected painlessly through a small patch of microneedles applied to the skin. The sample will be wicked into the microfluidic device we develop and a visual signal will be generated to indicate if the patient is allergic to the allergens being tested or not.The research will be undertaken in collaboration with a Canadian industry partner, ExVivo Labs, who will gain access to the knowledge, expertise, and resources necessary to overcome the challenges associated with developing their allergy test skin patch, and as a result to develop a successful commercial product. The research outcomes from the proposed CRD Grant would enable additional expansion providing more jobs and increasing the likelihood for expanding the Canadian economy with user-friendly diagnostic test products.