title: MECs: building blocks for custom microfluidic diagnostics in the developing world.
abstract: Microfluidic diagnostics for use in the developing world face a number of unique challenges. Doctors and nurses in developing countries are best suited to addresses these challenges, but they lack the resources and training needed to develop their own microfluidic diagnostics. To address this need, we are developing a system of Multifluidic Evolutionary Components or MECs, "building blocks" that can be snapped together by healthcare providers in resource-limited settings to build custom diagnostic instruments. MECs operate on multiple scales of fluid volumes (from nanoliters to milliliters) and include not only fluidic but also optical, mechanical, and electronic functions. In this work we share several prototype MECs and use them to build a demonstration instrument capable of measuring the pH of a sample.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Lindsey E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Casey J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Grover
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis