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Biosensors
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Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics
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Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics

A special issue of Biosensors (ISSN 2079-6374). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosensor and Bioelectronic Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 12314

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Derrick Butler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Interests: biosensors; organ-on-a-chip; electrochemistry; semiconductor physics and devices; microfabrication
Dr. Hadar Ben-Yoav

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Nanobioelectronics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev, Beer‐Sheva 8410501, Israel
Interests: BioMEMS; biosensors; electrochemistry; lab-on-a-chip; microfabrication; bioelectronics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices have emerged as new tools to model disease, assess therapeutic efficacy, screen potentially toxic drugs, and monitor health. Given their reduced spatial footprint, LOC devices are particularly well-suited for point-of-care (POC) diagnostic applications, which often require portability, prompt results, and simple, user-friendly operation. In light of this rapidly growing area of research, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue focused on recent advances, current challenges, and future perspectives for the development of lab-on-a-chip devices and their application in point-of-care diagnostics.

This Special Issue is devoted to advancements in all aspects of lab-on-a-chip devices targeting point-of-care diagnostic applications, including, but not limited to, new device architectures and fabrication methods, sample preparation and sorting strategies, analytical techniques and capabilities, applications (e.g., multi-functional devices for diagnosis and treatment), and sensor design and development. These can be applied to a range of analytes and markers of interest at the point-of-care, including, but not limited to, small molecules, metabolites, microbes, mammalian cells, proteins, nucleic acids, and ions.

This Special issue aims to focus on the most recent developments in the area of lab-on-a-chip devices for point-of-care applications and will consist of research articles, short communications, review articles, and perspectives.

We are excited to work with you and look forward to your submission.

Dr. Derrick Butler
Dr. Hadar Ben-Yoav
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biosensors is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lab-on-a-chip
  • point-of-care
  • diagnostics
  • biosensor
  • organ-on-a-chip
  • microphysiological systems

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 2717 KiB  
Article
The Pre-Polarization and Concentration of Cells near Micro-Electrodes Using AC Electric Fields Enhances the Electrical Cell Lysis in a Sessile Drop
by Kishor Kaphle and Dharmakeerthi Nawarathna
Biosensors 2025, 15(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios15010022 - 6 Jan 2025
Viewed by 823
Abstract
Cell lysis is the starting step of many biomedical assays. Electric field-based cell lysis is widely used in many applications, including point-of-care (POC) applications, because it provides an easy one-step solution. Many electric field-based lysis methods utilize micro-electrodes to apply short electric pulses [...] Read more.
Cell lysis is the starting step of many biomedical assays. Electric field-based cell lysis is widely used in many applications, including point-of-care (POC) applications, because it provides an easy one-step solution. Many electric field-based lysis methods utilize micro-electrodes to apply short electric pulses across cells. Unfortunately, these cell lysis devices produce relatively low cell lysis efficiency as electric fields do not reach a significant portion of cells in the sample. Additionally, the utility of syringe pumps for flow cells in and out of the microfluidics channel causes cell loss and low throughput cell lysis. To address these critical issues, we suspended the cells in a sessile drop and concentrated on the electrodes. We used low-frequency AC electric fields (1 Vpp, 0–100 kHz) to drive the cells effectively towards electrodes and lysed using a short pulse of 10 V. A post-lysis analysis was performed using a hemocytometer, UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence imaging. The results show that the pre-electric polarization of cells, prior to applying short electrical pulses, enhances the cell lysis efficiency. Additionally, the application of AC electric fields to concentrate cells on the electrodes reduces the assay time to about 4 min. In this study, we demonstrated that low-frequency AC electric fields can be used to pre-polarize and concentrate cells near micro-electrodes and improve cell lysis efficiency. Due to the simplicity and rapid cell lysis, this method may be suitable for POC assay development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
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13 pages, 3737 KiB  
Article
Development of a Quantitative Digital Urinalysis Tool for Detection of Nitrite, Protein, Creatinine, and pH
by Vince S. Siu, Minhua Lu, Kuan Yu Hsieh, Bo Wen, Italo Buleje, Nigel Hinds, Krishna Patel, Bing Dang and Russell Budd
Biosensors 2024, 14(2), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14020070 - 30 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3266
Abstract
This paper presents a cost-effective, quantitative, point-of-care solution for urinalysis screening, specifically targeting nitrite, protein, creatinine, and pH in urine samples. Detecting nitrite is crucial for the early identification of urinary tract infections (UTIs), while regularly measuring urinary protein-to-creatinine (UPC) ratios aids in [...] Read more.
This paper presents a cost-effective, quantitative, point-of-care solution for urinalysis screening, specifically targeting nitrite, protein, creatinine, and pH in urine samples. Detecting nitrite is crucial for the early identification of urinary tract infections (UTIs), while regularly measuring urinary protein-to-creatinine (UPC) ratios aids in managing kidney health. To address these needs, we developed a portable, transmission-based colorimeter using readily available components, controllable via a smartphone application through Bluetooth. Multiple colorimetric detection strategies for each analyte were identified and tested for sensitivity, specificity, and stability in a salt buffer, artificial urine, and human urine. The colorimeter successfully detected all analytes within their clinically relevant ranges: nitrite (6.25–200 µM), protein (2–1024 mg/dL), creatinine (2–1024 mg/dL), and pH (5.0–8.0). The introduction of quantitative protein and creatinine detection, and a calculated urinary protein-to-creatinine (UPC) ratio at the point-of-care, represents a significant advancement, allowing patients with proteinuria to monitor their condition without frequent lab visits. Furthermore, the colorimeter provides versatile data storage options, facilitating local storage on mobile devices or in the cloud. The paper further details the setup of the colorimeter’s secure connection to a cloud-based environment, and the visualization of time-series analyte measurements in a web-based dashboard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
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Review

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22 pages, 4995 KiB  
Review
Microfluidic Gastrointestinal Cell Culture Technologies—Improvements in the Past Decade
by Adrian J. T. Teo, Siu-Kin Ng, Kaydeson Khoo, Sunny Hei Wong and King Ho Holden Li
Biosensors 2024, 14(9), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14090449 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4835
Abstract
Gastrointestinal cell culture technology has evolved in the past decade with the integration of microfluidic technologies, bringing advantages with greater selectivity and cost effectiveness. Herein, these technologies are sorted into three categories, namely the cell-culture insert devices, conventional microfluidic devices, and 3D-printed microfluidic [...] Read more.
Gastrointestinal cell culture technology has evolved in the past decade with the integration of microfluidic technologies, bringing advantages with greater selectivity and cost effectiveness. Herein, these technologies are sorted into three categories, namely the cell-culture insert devices, conventional microfluidic devices, and 3D-printed microfluidic devices. Each category is discussed in brief with improvements also discussed here. Introduction of different companies and applications derived from each are also provided to encourage uptake. Subsequently, future perspectives of integrating microfluidics with trending topics like stool-derived in vitro communities and gut–immune–tumor axis investigations are discussed. Insights on modular microfluidics and its implications on gastrointestinal cell cultures are also discussed here. Future perspectives on point-of-care (POC) applications in relations to gastrointestinal microfluidic devices are also discussed here. In conclusion, this review presents an introduction of each microfluidic platform with an insight into the greater contribution of microfluidics in gastrointestinal cell cultures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
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19 pages, 5389 KiB  
Review
Recent Electrochemical Advancements for Liquid-Biopsy Nucleic Acid Detection for Point-of-Care Prostate Cancer Diagnostics and Prognostics
by Joseph Broomfield, Melpomeni Kalofonou, Charlotte L. Bevan and Pantelis Georgiou
Biosensors 2024, 14(9), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios14090443 - 14 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2148
Abstract
Current diagnostic and prognostic tests for prostate cancer require specialised laboratories and have low specificity for prostate cancer detection. As such, recent advancements in electrochemical devices for point of care (PoC) prostate cancer detection have seen significant interest. Liquid-biopsy detection of relevant circulating [...] Read more.
Current diagnostic and prognostic tests for prostate cancer require specialised laboratories and have low specificity for prostate cancer detection. As such, recent advancements in electrochemical devices for point of care (PoC) prostate cancer detection have seen significant interest. Liquid-biopsy detection of relevant circulating and exosomal nucleic acid markers presents the potential for minimally invasive testing. In combination, electrochemical devices and circulating DNA and RNA detection present an innovative approach for novel prostate cancer diagnostics, potentially directly within the clinic. Recent research in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, voltammetry, chronoamperometry and potentiometric sensing using field-effect transistors will be discussed. Evaluation of the PoC relevance of these techniques and their fulfilment of the WHO’s REASSURED criteria for medical diagnostics is described. Further areas for exploration within electrochemical PoC testing and progression to clinical implementation for prostate cancer are assessed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lab-on-a-Chip Devices for Point-of-Care Diagnostics)
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