An approach towards development of point of care diagnostics using ELISA

This paper shows the capability of the nanostructured silicon as sensitive ELISA substrates. Crystalline silicon was etched to make porous silicon and all the samples were functionalized so as to get GAR (Goat anti- rabbit) IgG antibody and RAG (Rabbit anti-goat) IgG analytes and they further get attached to the substrates. The optical density was measured after completion of ELISA tests. Simultaneously the pictures of the ELISA wells were captured using a phone camera and these were processed using image processing techniques. It was observed that the RGB index was in sync with the optical density. Maximum OD and RGB index were found from salinized porous silicon substrates. This work is being extended to capture the cancer antigens by using antibody - antigen reactions and ELISA for point of care diagnostics.

I. Introduction

An unprecedented surge for rapid diagnostics in the healthcare sector has led to the design and development of numerous Point-of-care diagnostic (POCD) devices. POCDs are primarily designed to acquire clinical information from patients especially in resource-limited settings, thereby simplifying the testing process with a clear vision to render effective and quality patient care. POCD based testing systems are convenient, user friendly, affordable and require no expertise to operate on. Some of the greatest benefits of employing these testing systems involve the rapid result interpretation for clinical decision making with an additional perk of achieving real time results similar to lab-quality diagnostic results in lesser time span. These miniaturized devices streamline the diagnostic procedures and render platforms to elevate the current clinical diagnostic scenario. Some of the most common and reliable POCD based testings were carried out for analysing rapid pregnancy tests along with the rapid analysis of blood glucose level. These testings further initiated the concept of personalized diagnostics. Although there are plenty of improvements in terms of facilities in the Healthcare system, the concept of utilizing the POCD devices is at a very nascent stage [2],[3].