Digital microfluidics and digital detection for in vitro diagnostics

加拿大提供医疗保健的成本正在以不可持续的速度增长。分散的、小占地面积的体外诊断（IVD）系统可以以显著降低的成本来实现，可以为这个问题提供一些缓解。多伦多大学的惠勒实验室正在与国际IVD市场领导者雅培实验室合作，开发基于数字微流体（DMF）的小型化免疫分析系统，该技术通过向电极阵列施加电势来使样品和试剂液滴在表面上移动。与传统系统相比，新的DMF系统可将试剂体积和分析时间分别减少100倍和10倍，同时保持临床筛选所需的分析性能水平。这里提出的工作是惠勒实验室和雅培之间正在进行的合作的延续，以进一步优化该技术，使其可以商业化。与位于安大略省渥太华、伊利诺伊州芝加哥和德克萨斯州达拉斯的雅培科学家组成的多元化团队合作，该项目有可能对加拿大和世界各地的诊断市场产生重大影响。

The cost of delivering healthcare in Canada is increasing at an unsustainable pace. De-centralized, small-footprint in vitro diagnostic (IVD) systems, which can be implemented with significant reductions in cost, may provide some relief to this problem. The Wheeler Lab at the University of Toronto is working with international IVD market leader, Abbott Laboratories, to develop miniaturized immunoassay systems based on digital microfluidics (DMF), a technique in which sample and reagent droplets are moved across a surface by applying electrical potentials to an array of electrodes. Compared to conventional systems, the new DMF systems offer the potential for 100-fold and 10-fold reductions in reagent volumes and analysis time, respectively, while retaining a level of analytical performance required for clinical screening. The work proposed here is a continuation of an on-going collaboration between the Wheeler Lab and Abbott to further optimize the technology such that it may be commercialized. Working with a diverse team of Abbott scientists based in Ottawa, ON, Chicago, IL, and Dallas, TX, this project has the potential to significantly impact the diagnostics market in Canada and around the world.