Lab-on-chips (LOC) integrate various laboratory diagnostic procedures for sample preparation and analysis on one chip and can process and evaluate patient samples automatically. The disposable cartridges are often no larger than a credit card, their device platforms small and thus optimal for diagnosis or first aid in medical practices or for point-of-care diagnostics in general. Results can thus be provided more cheaply, faster and earlier than conventional analyses in a medical laboratory. In KODIAK, electronic, optical and fluidic components and associated integration techniques are being developed to open up LOC-based point-of-care diagnostics for further use cases.

IMMS is contributing its expertise on CMOS-integrated optical sensors to the project. We are investigating how the new single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) of our project partner X-FAB can be used in highly sensitive image sensors for chemiluminescence LOC assays. We are developing a line sensor for reading chemiluminescence in microfluidic cartridges. In addition, hardware and software modules are also being developed to evaluate the sensor chip in an application-oriented manner.

The development is essentially driven by enabling rapid and cost-effective diagnoses for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and at the same time demonstrating the suitability of the technical project results in medical applications. CRS occurs as a serious side effect in a variety of diseases and therapies, such as immunotherapy, graft-versus-host disease, sepsis and infectious diseases such as Covid-19, and is often lethal. Depending on the study, for example, between about 20 – 45% of patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy in oncology suffer from CRS, as do the majority of corona patients who die. CRS must therefore be recognised and treated as quickly as possible. Currently, diagnosis is symptomatic, i.e. delayed and unspecific, and via blood tests and thus invasive, which excludes e.g. online monitoring. With the new image sensors, serious disease processes are to be detected earlier, clinical capacities are to be used more effectively and the medical care of patients is to be strengthened.