Bacterial pathogens detection and antimicrobial resistance testing using paper-based devices for urinary tract infections (UTIS)

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified by the World Health Organisation as a global threat and there is an urgent need for low-cost but reliable point-of-care diagnostics for early screening of infections especially in developing countries lacking in basic infrastructure and trained personnel. This work is aimed at developing unique paper-based microfluidic devices for infection testing by an unskilled user in a low resource setting. The device, fabricated using a laser-based technique, enables both the identification of an infection-causing pathogen and subsequently its susceptibility to antibiotics, via a simple visually observable color change