rapid detection of different human anti-hcV immunoglobulins on electrical biochips

The detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the blood of patients is currently based on immunological assays (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and recombinant immunoblot assay) that use different HCV epitopes to detect anti-HCV antibodies, and these tests usually require laboratories and trained personnel. The ELISA-based systems are also time consuming. Portable diagnostic devices offering rapid test results would therefore be advanta- geous in the field of medical care. To facilitate the fast and reliable diagnosis of HCV, we used a miniaturized automated system based on a cartridge with an integrated electrical biochip for the decentralized detection of anti-HCV antibodies against the Core, NS3, and NS4A proteins. This system allows the detection of virus-specific antibodies in 2 µL of serum or whole blood within 15 minutes using an ELISA directly on a gold electrode array containing HCV proteins as the capture antigen. The sensitivity of this system is comparable with standard microtiter plate ELISAs, but the duration of the novel assay is 5%-6% that of standard ELISAs.