UTILIZING SUPERABSORBENT POLYMERS AS A SIMPLE APPROACH TO SIGNAL IMPROVEMENT IN LATERAL FLOW ASSAYS

초록

Lateral flow assays (LFAs) are a highly cost-effective, simple, and fast diagnostic tool for point-of-care testing. However, their limited sensitivity can restrict their applications. To address this issue, nitrocellulose membranes can be modified with a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). These hydrogels have exceptionally high absorption and retention rates due to their mass. To further enhance the delay of microcapillary flow, sodium polyacrylate hydrogels were expertly integrated into the nitrocellulose membrane. Mathematical simulations were conducted to gain a better understanding of the modified SAP devices. The development of these devices demonstrates high levels of competence and expertise. Furthermore, the modified SAP devices were found to detect human IgG with a threefold increase in sensitivity compared to existing LFA devices.