Lab on a Smartphone (LOS): A Low-Cost Portable Platform for Real-Time on-Site Water Quality Detection

A new concept of Lab on a Smartphone (LOS) is presented, where multiple laboratory functions, e.g. sample preparation and microscopic detection, can be conducted on a portable smartphone. In this study, this LOS concept was demonstrated for real-time and on-site water quality detection using the optoelectrowetting (OEW) principle. In addition to the capability for on-chip automated sample processing, the LOS used a smartphone camera for microscopic detection of the target cells. With comparable fluorescence images and cell counting function, this LOS platform can overcome conventional labor-intensive and time-consuming methods for detecting microbiological contaminants an aquatic environments.