This paper describes a microfluidic device for dry preservation of biological specimens at room temperature thatudincorporates chemical stabilization matrices. Long-term stabilization of samples is crucial for remote medical analysis,udbiosurveillance, and archiving, but the current paradigm for transporting remotely obtained samples relies onudthe costly “cold chain” to preserve analytes within biospecimens. We propose an alternative approach that involvesudthe use of microfluidics to preserve samples in the dry state with stabilization matrices, developed by others, thatudare based on self-preservation chemistries found in nature. We describe a SlipChip-based device that allows minimallyudtrained users to preserve samples with the three simple steps of placing a sample at an inlet, closing a lid,udand slipping one layer of the device. The device fills automatically, and a pre-loaded desiccant dries the samples.udLater, specimens can be rehydrated and recovered for analysis in a laboratory. This device is portable, compact,udand self-contained, so it can be transported and operated by untrained users even in limited-resource settings. Featuresudsuch as dead-end and sequential filling, combined with a “pumping lid” mechanism, enable precise quantificationudof the original sample’s volume while avoiding overfilling. In addition, we demonstrated that the device canudbe integrated with a plasma filtration module, and we validated device operations and capabilities by testing theudstability of purified RNA solutions. These features and the modularity of this platform (which facilitates integrationudand simplifies operation) would be applicable to other microfluidic devices beyond this application. We envisionudthat as the field of stabilization matrices develops, microfluidic devices will be useful for cost-effectively facilitatingudremote analysis and biosurveillance while also opening new opportunities for diagnostics, drug development, andudother medical fields.
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