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

用于过敏测试的纸基和毛细管驱动的微流体平台

• 批准号: 516525-2017
• 负责人: MacDonald, Brendan
• 金额: $ 2.41万
• 依托单位: University of Ontario Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=695289
• 关键词: Paper; based; capillary; driven; microfluidics

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.

过敏是一个普遍存在的问题，影响着6000多万北美人。标准的测试是皮肤点刺法，医生在皮肤上放置各种过敏原，然后用针刺破皮肤，以引发过敏反应。这种反应可能会引起严重的刺激，既有肿胀，也有瘙痒。许多患者(特别是儿童)发现皮肤点刺试验具有侵入性和不适性，有些人不适合。这项拟议的研究将有助于开发一种安全、简单和特定的皮肤贴片，确保患者尽可能快地和舒适地得到诊断，这将增加测试并使患者了解他们的过敏状况。拟议的研究的目标是利用毛细管驱动的微流控策略，如流经纸张和线状设备和电化学，开发一种可以由我们的工业合作伙伴ExVivo Labs Inc.商业化的皮肤贴片。这些策略将有助于分离和浓缩患者样本中发现的化学物质，以便即使在少量样本液体中也能检测到过敏情况。患者的样本将是间质液体，可以通过在皮肤上应用一小块微针来无痛采集。样本将被放入我们开发的微流控设备中，并将产生视觉信号来指示患者是否对正在测试的过敏原过敏。这项研究将与加拿大行业合作伙伴ExVivo Labs合作进行，ExVivo实验室将获得必要的知识、专业知识和资源，以克服与开发过敏测试皮肤贴片相关的挑战，从而开发成功的商业产品。拟议的CRD赠款的研究成果将使进一步的扩张成为可能，提供更多的就业机会，并增加以用户友好的诊断测试产品扩大加拿大经济的可能性。