Get started
Work

Portable finger-driven microfluidic biosensing platform for neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin detection in acute kidney injury

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a critical biomarker for the early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI). The development of rapid, highly sensitive, and user-friendly detection methods is essential for improving patient outcomes and enabling timely clinical decisions. In this work, we introduce a novel self-powered microfluidic biosensor that integrated a designed finger-driven microfluidic platform with our developed label-free electrochemical biosensor for point-of-care NGAL detection. The microfluidic chip was fabricated using a 3D-printed master mold, followed by soft lithography to create a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-patterned structure. A finger-driven pump was incorporated into the platform to enable self-powered fluid actuation, allowing for on-chip sample preparation, mixing, and dilution. The device achieved a mixing efficiency of 96 ± 1.4 % using only microliter-scale sample volumes. For NGAL detection, the electrochemical immunosensor was constructed by immobilizing anti-NGAL antibodies on an electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Prussian blue (PB). Detection was based on the decrease in the oxidation signal of PB upon NGAL binding. The biosensor demonstrated a linear detection range from 0.10 to 1.5 ng mL⁻¹ , with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.099 ng mL⁻¹ . The percentage recovery for spiked urine samples ranged from 88 % to 107 %. This integrated system offers simple, portable, and rapid analysis with a total detection time of less than 20 min. Its high sensitivity and ease of use make it a promising candidate for future development in rapid point-of-care (POC) testing for AKI diagnosis.
DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2025.138666
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,010
OpenAlex ID: W4414106985
FWCI: 1.714
Cites: 52
Cited by: 7
Related to: 10