MICROFLUIDIC-INTEGRATED BIOSENSOR FOR RAPID DETECTION OF GLIAL FIBRILLARY ACIDIC PROTEIN (GFAP) IN THE WHOLE BLOOD OF MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY PATIENTS

Introduction:The widespread occurrence of mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) in North America poses a significant public health challenge, leading to a range of acute and chronic symptoms and various health problems, resulting in substantial healthcare costs.Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) as the most predictable bodily fluid biomarker of mTBI is presently analyzed in blood samples at centralized labs using gold standard immunoassays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and SIngle MOlecule Array (SIMOA).However, these methods deal with prolonged result wait times and increased healthcare expenses, negatively impacting patient outcomes [1].To address these issues, a rapid, accurate, cost-effective, and quantitative method is necessary for the quantification of GFAP aiming for identifying and managing mTBI patients.In response, we developed a highly accurate molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP)-based biosensor integrated with a capillary microfluidic chip capable of quantifying GFAP in whole blood.The capillary microfluidics enables self-powered plasma separation and automated biosensing within the chip, while coupled with a portable potentiostat, it could be efficiently used for diagnosis and prognosis of mTIB patients (Figure 1).Data analysis and visualization are easily performed via smartphone connectivity.