High-performance UV-curable epoxy resin-based microarray and microfluidic immunoassay devices

Immunoassay devices including microarray and microfluidic systems were fabricated with an UV-curable resin by a new economic approach, which can not only simply produce a 3-dimensional (3D) patterned structure, but also simultaneously introduce functional epoxide groups for efficient protein immobilization. The performance of the epoxy resin-based microarray was improved by optimization of printing buffer, probe concentration, and immobilization time, showing a detection dynamic range of 5 orders of magnitude and a limit of detection (LOD) of 10 pg mL−1 for immunoglobulin G (IgG). The developed microfluidic immunoassay device demonstrates a LOD of 100 pg mL−1 for IL-5 detection. The device can also be used to colorimetrically detect proteins via naked human eyes for immunoassays. This work provides a simple and inexpensive method to fabricate a sensitive immunoassay device, especially a 3D microfluidic system, which has great potential to develop a portable immunoassay device via human eye detection for point-of-care service and/or high throughput screening of infectious diseases.