A Nanofluidic Device for Rapid and Multiplexed Serological Antibody Detection

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This patent describes a three-dimensional (3D) nanofluidic device designed for rapid and multiplexed serological antibody detection. The device can size-selectively trap particles at specific locations within a microchannel, allowing the simultaneous and quick detection of multiple types of antibodies from a single biological sample. It is cost-effective, relies on passive capillary fluid movement (no pumps needed), and is suitable for point-of-care diagnostics, especially in detecting antibodies related to diseases like COVID-19 and Influenza A. The platform can be extended to simultaneously detect a wide range of diseases and different antibody sub-types, and enables semi-quantitative results.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Rapid COVID-19 and Influenza A antibody testing at clinics, airports, or remote locations (point-of-care diagnostics).
• Simultaneous screening for multiple infectious diseases in a single test run.
• Monitoring immune response (IgG and IgM levels) in patients over time, such as response to vaccines.
• Large-scale population surveillance for disease exposure and immunity studies.
• Differentiation between disease types with similar symptoms (e.g., COVID-19 vs. Influenza) in real time.
• Customizable detection for other pathogen-specific antibodies by changing the antigen functionalization of beads.
• Use in environmental or biotechnological settings for multiplexed particle or biomolecule detection.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables rapid, multiplexed detection (multiple antibodies/diseases in one test) from a small sample.
• High sensitivity and specificity; semi-quantitative results comparable to laboratory-based methods like ELISA.
• Cost-effective and scalable manufacturing using established polymer and nanoimprint lithography processes.
• Fully passive flow—no need for external pumps or complex equipment (simple point-of-care use).
• Adaptable platform: can be modified to detect a wide variety of antibody types or infectious agents.
• Minimizes need for skilled personnel or high-biosafety laboratory settings.
• Reduces time-to-result dramatically compared to conventional laboratory diagnostics.
• Potential to distinguish between vaccine-derived and infection-derived immunity, aiding in public health decisions.
• Compact and portable format suitable for field or non-clinical settings.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The planetary outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a substantial death toll and has hindered the functioning of modern society, despite countermeasures of previously unimaginable magnitude. This underlines the importance of accurate, cost-effective serological antibody tests as well as point-of-care diagnostics to monitor the viral spread and to contain pandemics and endemics.Here, the present invention discloses a cost-effective three-dimensional (3D) nanofluidic device for rapid and multiplexed detection of viral antibodies. The device is designed to size-dependently immobilize particles at predefined positions from a multiparticle mixture, giving rise to distinct trapping lines. It is shown with the device that distinctive lines can be used as an on-chip and on-bead fluorescent linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 in human serum. Device versatility is exhibited by on-bead color multiplexing for simultaneous detection of IgG and IgM in convalescent human serum and by concurrent detection of anti-spike (SARS-CoV-2) and anti-hemagglutinin (Influenza A) antibodies. This device can be further extended to detect a plethora of diseases simultaneously or to distinguish different mutations.