Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology has emerged as a promising platform for Point-of-Care (POC) diagnostics, enabling rapid and accurate analysis of biological samples in a miniaturized format. Before the pandemic, LOC-based POC diagnostic kits were already revolutionizing healthcare by providing decentralized and near-patient testing solutions. These kits incorporated various microfluidic techniques, such as droplet manipulation, cell sorting, and sample preparation, onto a single chip. They enabled efficient analysis of blood, urine, saliva, and other bodily fluids, offering advantages such as reduced sample volume, shorter analysis time, and increased sensitivity. Pre-pandemic LOC-based diagnostic kits primarily targeted infectious diseases, chronic conditions, and personalized medicine, enhancing early detection, monitoring, and treatment. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for rapid and accessible diagnostic testing increased. LOC technology quickly adapted to this unprecedented global crisis, playing a critical role in scaling up testing capacity and improving response times. LOC-based POC diagnostic kits for COVID-19 offered rapid and accurate detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, providing results within minutes. In the post-pandemic world, the evolution of LOC-based diagnostic kits is expected to accelerate further.

This Research Topic explores the new frontiers and evolution of LOC-based diagnostic kits, with a specific focus on their role in the pre and post-pandemic world. The pandemic has underscored the importance of rapid and portable diagnostic technologies, leading to increased investment and innovation in the field. In order to obtain working kits it is fundamental to face the integration of pumps, reagents and sensors to go thought the patient sample and provide a diagnostic answer. The goal of this collection is to depict the new way in which researchers are approaching LOC design (i.e. CAD design tools, FEM, CFD other type of simulations), new involved technologies (i.e. 3D printing and rapid prototyping), the new functionalities (i.e. by integrating different kind of biosensors), materials and surface tailoring innovations, liquid handling (i.e pumps and others components), scaling up of the fabrication methods, cutting edge performances respect to standards analysis.

In this Research Topic, we invite submission of manuscripts on, but not limited to, the following:
• LOC design and simulations
• New fabrication methods
• Liquid handling
• Biosensors integrations
• Materials and surface modification
• Scaling up the production
• Cutting edge performances
• Robustness and reproducibility of the diagnosis
• Kits developments and storage problems
We look to receive standard research papers as well as mini or full reviews on this topic.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Lab on a Chip Technologies

Submit your idea

Impact