Evaluation of a microfluidic-based point-of-care prototype with customized chip for detection of bacterial clusters

Especially in medical facilities, where morbid people are nursed in close distance to each other, pathogenic bacteria can accumulate and spread. To contain such infection clusters, usually time- and labor-intensive large-scale screening assays are conducted, where patients and patient-side surfaces are sampled, and PCR or whole-genome sequencing analyses are conducted to confirm or deny cluster affiliation of cultivated bacteria. Hence, fast solutions with easy application are required to complement the current state-of-the-art technology for cluster surveillance. Here, we developed a fully automated microfluidic point-of-care prototype that identified bacterial cluster isolates within 70 min from bacterial solutions, including swab eluates. The system requires only low hands-on time and can be applied apart from laboratory infrastructures near the patient, which considerably reduces the time from sampling to result. This ensures fast implementation of hygiene measures and quick containment of the infection cluster, which would enhance patients' safety and outcome.