Issue 20, 2019

Microfluidic rapid and autonomous analytical device (microRAAD) to detect HIV from whole blood samples

Abstract

While identifying acute HIV infection is critical to providing prompt treatment to HIV-positive individuals and preventing transmission, existing laboratory-based testing methods are too complex to perform at the point of care. Specifically, molecular techniques can detect HIV RNA within 8–10 days of transmission but require laboratory infrastructure for cold-chain reagent storage and extensive sample preparation performed by trained personnel. Here, we demonstrate our point-of-care microfluidic rapid and autonomous analysis device (microRAAD) that automatically detects HIV RNA from whole blood. Inside microRAAD, we incorporate vitrified amplification reagents, thermally-actuated valves for fluidic control, and a temperature control circuit for low-power heating. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) products are visualized using a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA), resulting in an assay limit of detection of 100 HIV-1 RNA copies when performed as a standard tube reaction. Even after three weeks of room-temperature reagent storage, microRAAD automatically isolates the virus from whole blood, amplifies HIV-1 RNA, and transports amplification products to the internal LFIA, detecting as few as 3 × 105 HIV-1 viral particles, or 2.3 × 107 virus copies per mL of whole blood, within 90 minutes. This integrated microRAAD is a low-cost and portable platform to enable automated detection of HIV and other pathogens at the point of care.

Graphical abstract: Microfluidic rapid and autonomous analytical device (microRAAD) to detect HIV from whole blood samples

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 May 2019
Accepted
30 Aug 2019
First published
20 Sep 2019
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Lab Chip, 2019,19, 3375-3386

Microfluidic rapid and autonomous analytical device (microRAAD) to detect HIV from whole blood samples

E. A. Phillips, T. J. Moehling, K. F. K. Ejendal, O. S. Hoilett, K. M. Byers, L. A. Basing, L. A. Jankowski, J. B. Bennett, L. Lin, L. A. Stanciu and J. C. Linnes, Lab Chip, 2019, 19, 3375 DOI: 10.1039/C9LC00506D

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