Development of High-sensitivity Paper-based Detection Device with Hydrophobic Polymer Pattern

Typical diagnostic devices include real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and so on. These diagnostic devices can precisely diagnose, but point-of-care and rapid diagnoses are difficult. Therefore, there is a keen interest in developing paper-based diagnostic devices capable of point-of-care and rapid diagnosis. The paper-based diagnostic devices are used in various areas, such as diagnosis of the disease and testing drugs or toxic chemicals. Most paper-based devices are composed of hydrophilic cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane, and a general example of the device is a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) strip. However, paper-based diagnostic devices are known to have a very low sensitivity which is a problem. To solve this drawback, we designed a new type of paper-based diagnostic device using a polymer pattern. A very simple method is used to imprint a polymer pattern onto the device, and by concentrating the detection material (Molecular beacon, MB) in the pattern, we could fabricate a highly sensitive paper diagnostic device, having high sensitivity similar to the ELISA. The developed paper-based diagnostic device is expected to be used in various fields including livestock and human diseases detection.