A portable thermostatic molecular diagnosis device based on high-efficiency photothermal conversion material for rapid field detection of SARS-CoV-2

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has seriously harmed human health and economic devel-opment worldwide. Studies have shown that timely diagnosis and isolation are the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the epidemic. However, the current polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based molecular diagnostic platform has the problems of expensive equipment, high operation difficulty, and the need for stable power resources support, so it is difficult to popularize in low-resource areas. This study established a portable (<300 g), low-cost (<$10), and reusable molecular diagnostic device based on solar energy photothermal conversion strategy, which creatively introduces a sunflower-like light tracking system to improve light utilization, making the device suitable for both high and low-light areas. The experimental results show that the device can detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid samples as low as 1 aM within 30 min.

Automated summary

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has had a serious impact on both human health and global economic development. Timely diagnosis and isolation have been identified as the most effective measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic. However, the current PCR-based molecular diagnostic platform is expensive, difficult to operate, and requires stable power resources, making it challenging to implement in low-resource areas. This study has developed a portable, low-cost, and reusable molecular diagnostic device based on solar energy photothermal conversion strategy. It incorporates a sunflower-like light tracking system to improve light utilization, enabling its use in both high and low-light areas. Experimental results demonstrate that the device can detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid samples as low as 1 aM within 30 minutes.