Digital Bioassays on the Slipchip Microfluidic Devices

The SlipChip, designed to achieve “simple, low-cost, instrument-free, and precise” biomarker analysis, has demonstrated significant potential in both biological research and clinical diagnostics. The technology utilizes the relative movement of two microfluidic plates with microstructures to manipulate fluids. This review focuses specifically on digital bioassays performed on SlipChip microfluidic platforms, which eliminate the need for sophisticated fluidic systems by generating partitions through simple “load and slip” operations. For digital nucleic acid analysis including digital PCR, digital LAMP, and digital RPA the SlipChip can extend the dynamic range of analysis through multivolume, serial dilution, and digital-analog strategies. It also enables real-time digital PCR, digital melt curve analysis, and digital CRISPR-based and Argonaute-based analysis with parallel droplet manipulation. Additionally, the SlipChip method can be integrated with functionalized microbeads for digital protein analysis. Furthermore, the SlipChip has been applied in single-bacterium separation and cultivation, active bacteriophage quantification, and single-cell analysis. These developments will pave the way for broader applications in precision medicine, infectious disease detection, and personalized healthcare.