A paper-based microfluidic device for multiplexed electrochemical detection of biomarkers

Paper-based microfluidic devices have emerged as simple yet powerful platforms for performing low-cost analytical tests. This paper reports a microfluidic paper-based electrochemical biosensor array for multiplexed detection of disease markers. Different from existing paper-based electrochemical biosensors, our device includes an array of eight electrochemical sensors and utilizes a custom-made, handheld electrochemical reader (potentiostat) for signal readout. The biosensor array can detect several analytes in a sample solution and produce multiple measurement data for each analyte from a single run. Using the device, we demonstrate simultaneous detection of three disease-relevant metabolic biomarkers (glucose, lactate, and uric acid), with analytical performance comparable to that of the existing commercial and paper-based platforms. The paper-based biosensor array and the electrochemical reader will enable the acquisition of high-density, statistically-meaningful diagnostic information at the point of care in a rapid and cost-efficient way.