A portable microfluidic paper-based analytical device for blood detection and typing assay
Niha Ansari, Nehal Trambadiya, Anand Lodha, Shobhana K. Menon
Abstract
We developed a portable device for blood detection as well as blood typing assay, using a microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) which proves to be sensitive, cost-effective, user-friendly and field-appropriate. A different patterned µPAD was fabricated using wax and a laser printer for detection of blood and ABO and Rh blood typing. Five different blood detection tests and two blood typing systems, i.e. ABO and Rh, were performed within minutes without following any complex protocol and were simple to infer. The performance of this hand-held μPAD proves it to be a reliable alternative to lab-based tests, at a fraction of the cost and with simplicity. The developed μPAD provides on-site blood detection as well as blood typing, which proves to be a reasonable and very useful add-on to conventional forensic and clinical investigations.