Competitively priced method for the production of diagnostic chips

MATERIALS

In medical diagnostics, patient-oriented rapid diagnostics, so-called point-of-care diagnostics, is becoming more and more important. In this context, the JOANNEUM RESEARCH has successfully demonstrated high-throughput Roll-to-Roll production of polymer based diagnostic test chips.

Inner Front Cover of „Lab on a Chip”: “High-Throughput Roll-to-Roll Production of Polymer Biochips for Multiplexed DNA Detection in Point-of-Care Diagnostics” von P. Toren et al.

There is great potential for microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems, particularly in medicine, pharmaceuticals, production and analysis. One advantage of lab-on-a-chip systems is that they allow the automated implementation of complex analyses even in small laboratories with limited technical equipment. At MATERIALS, the NextGenMicrofluidics project is working intensively on the implementation of roll-to-roll technologies for the high-throughput production of these microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems. The resulting flexible polymer chips enable multiplexed, fast and reliable DNA or protein testing for in-vitro diagnostic applications. In the production of chip structures for the clinical detection of the antibiotic-resistant pathogen Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a production speed of 4500 chips per hour was achieved via our Roll-to-Roll (R2R) UV Nanoimprint Lithography (UV-NIL) pilot line. In comparison, the most commonly used injection molding technology allows the production of ~ 600 chips per hour.

“Our Roll-to-Roll UV NIL technology offers high-throughput and smart manufacturing of multiplexed polymer biochips, suitable for DNA and protein based point-of-care diagnostics”, says Pelin Toren, first author of the article published about the technology developed at MATERIALS.

The article is published in "Lab on a Chip": http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=D0LC00751J

P. Toren, M. Smolka, A. Haase, M. Rumpler, B. Stadlober, J. Hesse, et al., "High-throughput roll-to-roll production of polymer biochips for multiplexed DNA detection in point-of-care diagnostics", Lab on a Chip, 2020, 20, 4106-4117.

NextGenMicrofluidics

The project combines the competences of 21 companies and research organizations along the entire value chain and offers services for the development and production of customized microfluidic lab-on-a-foil systems for companies - from start-ups to large industry. This includes a unique continuous roll-to-roll production line for high-throughput manufacturing of foil-based microfluidics.

The project is coordinated by MATERIALS, JOANNEUM RESEARCH.

For furhter information contact

Dr Martin Smolka

Materials

Phone:	+43 316 876-3419
E-mail	martin.smolka@joanneum.at