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REVIEW article

Front. Lab. Chip. Technol.
Sec. Micro- and Nano-Total Analysis Systems
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frlct.2024.1467423
This article is part of the Research Topic Recent Advances in Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences View all articles

Advancements and Challenges in Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices: Design, Manufacturing, Sustainability, and Field Applications

Provisionally accepted
Prakash Aryal Prakash Aryal Charles Henry Charles Henry *
  • Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) have gained significant attention in analytical science and technology due to their numerous advantages over traditional analytical techniques, including cost-effectiveness, miniaturization, and sustainability. µPADs are widely used in point-ofcare diagnostics, health monitoring, environmental detection, food safety, forensics, and security. Since the first report in 2007, there have been substantial advancements in their fabrication techniques, detection methods, and applications. Over the years, significant efforts and advancements have been made to improve the cost-effectiveness, manufacturing scalability, user-friendliness, and sustainability of µPADs. In this review, we explore the general trends and advancements in the fabrication, sensing methods, and applications of µPADs, highlighting key improvements and innovations. We also examine the eco-friendliness of µPADs and present real-world success stories from field studies and citizen science initiatives. Additionally, we address the challenges associated with transitioning µPADs from the lab to the field. Finally, we examine the outlook for µPADs and propose strategies to improve their usefulness in various fields.

    Keywords: Paper-based microfluidics, Fabrication methods, Detection techniques, applications, point-of-care, point-of-need. References

    Received: 19 Jul 2024; Accepted: 04 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Aryal and Henry. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Charles Henry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.