Smartphone-based microfluidic chips and their application in pathogen detection

Miniaturized, integrated and automated microfluidic chips provided a new solution for clinical laboratory technology. However, microfluidic chips still require accessory devices to read, analyze and display results. The portable, widely-used and multi-functional smartphones have provided a simple, portable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use platform for microfluidic chips. The combination of the two technologies is expected to become the next-generation of diagnostic methods, especially the important research direction of point-of-care testing (POCT). Key words: Smartphone; Microfluidics; Microfluidic analytical techniques; Point-of-care testing; Bacteria; Viruses