Phaseguide-chip for point-of-care diagnostic of bacteria with integrated enrichment, lysis, and nucleic acid purification

We report the development and proof-of-concept of a microfluidic chip, that provides a full range of pretreatment steps for the point-of-care detection of bacteria with a total process time of less than 15 minutes. It integrates enrichment, lysis and nucleic acid purification. Enrichment is achieved through free-flow electrophoresis. The enriched cells are lysed by thermoelectrical means. Nucleic acids can immediately be purified by electrophoresis through a hydrogel. The system uses phaseguides for complete, bubble-free priming and emptying, offering optional reusability.