Feasibility study of revolutionizing animal healthcare with Lab-on-a-Chip technology: Case study on water buffalo blood analysis

Abstract

Importance of the work: The development of the buffalo Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) has the potential to revolutionize animal healthcare in developing countries by providing accessible and affordable diagnostics, particularly for assessing buffalo hematocrit levels.
Objectives: To develop an affordable and accessible LOC for buffalo health diagnostics, focusing on the evaluation of hematocrit levels.
Materials & Methods: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) LOCs were fabricated using a stainless-steel mold. Buffalo blood samples, mixed with pure saline, were prepared for testing. Hematocrit levels were evaluated using manual capillary centrifugation. Sample flow patterns were observed to understand the behavior of the LOC.
Results: The functionality of the PDMS LOCs was validated using chicken blood samples, demonstrating their effectiveness. Notably, buffalo samples with low hematocrit values had sample flow toward the anode, while those with normal hematocrit values had flow toward the cathode.
Main finding: The buffalo LOC effectively distinguished between buffalo samples with low and normal hematocrit values, based on their flow behavior, showcasing its potential as an accessible diagnostic tool.