A Comparison of Optical, Electrochemical, Magnetic, and Colorimetric Point-of-Care Biosensors for Infectious Disease Diagnosis

Abstract

Each year, infectious diseases are responsible for millions of deaths, most of which occur in the rural areas of developing countries. Many of the infectious disease diagnostic tools used today require a great deal of time, a laboratory setting, and trained personnel. Due to this, the need for effective point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools is greatly increasing with an emphasis on affordability, portability, sensitivity, specificity, timeliness, and ease of use. In this Review, we discuss the various diagnostic modalities that have been utilized toward this end and are being further developed to create POC diagnostic technologies, and we focus on potential effectiveness in resource-limited settings. The main modalities discussed herein are optical-, electrochemical-, magnetic-, and colorimetric-based modalities utilized in diagnostic technologies for infectious diseases. Each of these modalities feature pros and cons when considering application in POC settings but, overall, reveal a promising outlook for the future of this field of technological development.

Point of Care Diagnostics in Resource-Limited Settings: A Review of the Present and Future of PoC in Its Most Needed Environment

“…While lateral flow devices are the most common, the trend in research goes towards devices with higher complexity, which are able to handle more complicated samples, can multiplex and detect challenging analytes [ 6 ]. The greater complexity of these devices is shown in their mechanisms of action, which are often optical, electro(chemical) or magnetic [ 8 ], but also include other mode of actions—e.g., thermal sensor systems [ 9 , 10 ]. Optical systems include more straightforward UV/Vis or fluorescence sensors, as well as more complex systems using quantum dot and surface-plasmon-resonance technology or even genetically encoded biosensors [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Recent Developments in Nanotechnology for Detection and Control of Aedes aegypti-Borne Diseases

“…Rapid diagnosis of important arboviruses-borne diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, zika, and yellow fever is essential in order to reduce and avoid further dissemination of the infections within the general population (Patterson et al, 2016). The WHO has emphasized the importance of developing point-of-care (POC) tests that are ASSURED (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, Userfriendly, Robust and rapid, Equipment-free, and Deliverable) (Pashchenko et al, 2018). An ideal technique for the on-site detection of arboviruses should have these characteristics and enable early detection of the disease.…”

Nanophotonics for bacterial detection and antimicrobial susceptibility testing

“…Reducing the optical probed volume often comes with the need of using nanostructures, whose fabrication requires electron beam lithography and cleanroom procedures, which are neither easy nor costeffective to scale. Although significant progress has been made in this direction and many point of care detection platforms have been demonstrated [65,145,146], these devices still need to be validated for reproducible and accurate on-field operation. In addition, many portable technologies still suffer from insufficient sensitivity to be able to perform early diagnosis [147].…”