NYU Abu Dhabi Develops Paper-Based Tool for Fast, Affordable Disease Detection

Photo : Abu Dhabi Media Office

A team of scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi has designed a new paper-based device that can detect COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in less than 10 minutes. The best part is that it doesn’t need any fancy lab machines or trained experts to work. This makes it simple and quick to use anywhere.

The device, called the Radially Compartmentalized Paper Chip (RCP-Chip), was developed by researchers in the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory. It is small, lightweight, and portable, making it perfect for on-the-spot disease testing.

The idea for the RCP-Chip came during the early days of the COVID-19 lockdowns. It can find tiny amounts of virus genetic material using just a small drop of fluid. The test shows results by changing color, which anyone can see without special tools. It only needs a mild heat source, like warm water at about 65 degrees Celsius, to work.

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The chip is made from a single sheet of paper and includes tiny parts such as places to put the sample, vents, and chambers filled with special chemicals needed for the test.

The research team shared their findings in a scientific paper published in the journal Advanced Sensor Research. Their study shows that the RCP-Chip is a quick and reliable way to test for infectious diseases, especially in places that don’t have access to well-equipped labs.

Mohammad A Qasaimeh, an Associate Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi and the lead researcher, said, “During the pandemic, we wanted to create a test that is fast, cheap, and easy to use, especially for places without labs. The RCP-Chip can also be changed to detect other diseases, making it very useful for health care worldwide.”

This device can test for several different gene targets at once, which means it can look for many diseases in one test. This saves time, reduces the amount of sample needed, and lowers costs. It can also work with different types of samples like saliva, blood, or samples from the environment.

Pavithra Sukumar, a research assistant and co-author, added, “This test is fast and affordable. It can detect many gene targets in less than 10 minutes. What makes it important is that it can be used anywhere, helping doctors respond faster to outbreaks by quickly finding who is infected.”

Next, the team plans to improve the test’s detection power and expand its use in clinics and hospitals. They also want to add smartphone features so results can be shared quickly with health officials, helping track outbreaks in real-time.

This project shows NYU Abu Dhabi’s strong focus on creating new tools that help solve important health problems and make healthcare easier to reach for everyone.