Lab-on-a-disk immunoassay for ocular diagnostics

Monitoring of angiogenic cytokines in the eyes of patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is crucial to confirm efficacy of treatment. We present a novel “lab-on-a-disk” immunoassay for monitoring vascular endothelial growth factor in the eye with potential for deployment at the ophthalmologist's office as a point-of-care diagnostic. Using rudimentary sedimentation principles, the immunoassay can be completed in a two-step method within 16–18 minutes. The platform is comparable in sensitivity to conventional ELISA. Adoption of this platform at the point-of-care will facilitate accurate dosing of anti-angiogenic medication used to treat DR and AMD as well as identify non-responders.