Thread as a low-cost biodiagnostic substrate

Abstract

State of the art diagnostics taken for granted in the developed world are prohibitively expensive to countries which are economically challenged. Development of inexpensive diagnostic devices which are affordable to 3rd world markets is therefore important for improving global public health. This study investigates an alternative material for use as a microfluidic diagnostic substrate; thread. Thread is strong, flexible, inexpensive and globally available. It has the form of a ready-made channel which means lab-on-a-chip style devices can be fabricated rapidly simply by sewing thread into a support material such as a cheap plastic film. In this work the use of thread is investigated in vario..