Rapid and sensitive measurement of glycated hemoglobin for diabetes monitoring by using a two-aptamer assay on an integrated microfluidic system

Diabetes requires an on-site routine monitoring on a daily basis. In this study, a compact, integrated microfluidic system capable of rapidly measuring the value of glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) was reported. Since nucleic-acid aptamers with high sensitivity and specificity to hemoglobin and HbA_1c were used, the two-aptamer assay can perform the detection of HbA_1c within a short period of time. Furthermore, the microfluidic system is extended to parallel processing such that multiple assays can be realized on a single chip. Therefore, it may be promising for providing a diagnostic device for diabetes patients in the near future.