Signal-Enhanced Detection of Multiplexed Cardiac Biomarkers by a Paper-Based Fluorogenic Immunodevice Integrated with Zinc Oxide Nanowires

Using a single test to comprehensively evaluate multiple cardiac biomarkers for early diagnosis and prevention of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has faced enormous challenges. Here, we have developed paper-based fluorogenic immunodevices for multiplexed detection of three cardiac biomarkers, namely, human heart-type fatty acid binding protein (FABP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and myoglobin, simultaneously. The detection is based on a strategy using zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs) to enhance fluorescence signals (similar to 5-fold compared to that on pure paper). The immunodevices showed high sensitivity and selectivity for FABP, cTnI, and myoglobin with detection limits of 1.36 ng/mL, 1.00 ng/mL, and 2.38 ng/mL, respectively. Additionally, the paper-based immunoassay was rapid (similar to 5 min to complete the test) and portable (using a homemade chamber with a smartphone and an ultraviolet lamp). The developed devices integrated with ZnO NWs enable quantitative, sensitive, and simultaneous detection of multiple cardiac biomarkers in point-of-care settings, which provides a useful approach for monitoring AMI diseases and may be extended to other medical diagnostics and environmental assessments.