APPLIEDx: Integrated point-of-care platform for infectious diseases diagnosis (APPLIEDX)

In vitro diagnostic (IVD) technologies have undoubtfully revolutionized healthcare over the past decades. However, with dominance of laboratory-confined technologies, the IVD market critically lags behind a healthcare paradigm shift towards decentralized diagnostic approaches (so called, point-of-care, POC). Lab-on-chip (LOC) technologies have long promised to address this need and bring lab-quality assays to the POC, but largely failed because of complex instrumentation, difficult operation with too many manual steps and high cost. Therefore, in the absence of a better solution, the decades-old lateral flow (LF) assays keep dominating the POC market despite the pre-requisite for sample preparation, lack of multiplexing capacity and incompatibility with different types of assays. In this context, the overall scientific goal of the APPLIEDx project is to develop POC patch unique in its capacity for (1) painless sampling of capillary blood through hollow microneedles (HMN), (2) direct analysis of this sample on the very same patch, (3) accommodating multiplex immunological and high sensitivity molecular assays on an integrated LF strip and (4) activation by simply positioning this patch on the upper arm of a user. The APPLIEDx patch will be validated through a retrospective sample set and/or prospective small scale evaluation in a controlled clinical setting for 2 highly socioeconomic relevant cases: (1) simultaneous diagnosis of HIV and syphilis, contributing to sexually transmitted disease control, and (2) simultaneous detection of Dengue and Chikungunya, supporting prevention of tropical fever-causing viruses outbreaks. To succeed in this, the 3-partner consortium with support of extended advisory committee will significantly advance in the fields of self-powered microfluidics, materials science and HMN microfabrication next to development and on-chip implementation of complex assays for their patient validation.