Paper-based sensors for biomedical applications

Abstract

Paper-based sensor is a new analytical technique applicable in healthcare monitoring, environmental monitoring, food quality control, etc. Currently, these technologies are drawing great attention due to ease of fabrication, costeffectiveness, and their simple, portable, and disposable nature. The inherent qualities of paper, such as availability in large quantities, cheap, lightweight, and biodegradability, are being exploited to develop sustainable devices. The application of paper as a substrate material in litmus paper was dated back to seventeenth century. The semiquantitative detection of glucose in urine and immune chromatographic paper test strips for pregnancy test kits are examples of paper-based sensing devices. Today, microfluidic paper-based sensors with advanced designs involving complex 3D geometrics for handling multiples analytes are under investigation. It is foreseen that advancements in the fabrication and analytical techniques will help in improving the accuracy and sensitivity of paper-based sensors. Different types of detection approaches used in microfluidic paper-based devices are colorimetry, luminescence, electrochemical detection, fluorescence, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. This book chapter focuses on different microfluidic paper-based devices used for healthcare applications. The coverage of this chapter is also extended to its current status and future prospects with elaborative and graphical examples.