3D printed micro fuel cells for point-of-care diagnostics

Rapid diagnostic testing at the site of a patient, point−of−care (POC) testing, is essential to provide healthcare when a fully equipped laboratory is not readily accessible. Especially in developing countries, suitable POC diagnostics could save millions of lives a year by early diagnosis of a number of treatable conditions identified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO guidelines for viable developing world diagnostics state the need for low−cost, disposable assays that require minimal user−dependent steps and do not rely on external power sources. Increasing performance expectations (e.g., quantitative versus yes-no answers) add to this challenge and make the incorporation of a micro power supply in the diagnostic test unavoidable (e.g., to power absorbance, fluorescence or electrochemical assays).

To enable on-board power supplies that fit the cost, storage and use robust use criteria, this project proposes a radically novel approach: 3D printing ultra-low-cost micro fuel cells that can be seamlessly integrated with previously developed POC diagnostics. These micro fuel cells will solely be driven by capillary action and will generate electricity from easy-to-store chemical fuels, on demand and at a directly useful voltage and current.