Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men worldwide. In Iran, the incidence of hormone-dependent cancers has been rising over the past decade, with prostate cancer being the most prevalent. Early detection of cancer is one of the most effective strategies for reducing mortality rates and associated healthcare burdens. Consequently, screening tests have gained significant importance in modern medicine. Currently, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is the most widely used biomarker for prostate cancer detection, typically measured through immunoassay techniques such as ELISA. However, performing these tests requires trained personnel and specialized laboratory equipment, making them difficult to access in underserved and rural areas. Additionally, manual testing, even when conducted by skilled professionals, poses risks of human error and sample contamination. Given these challenges, there is an urgent demand for an automated, portable, and accessible platform for biomarker detection to facilitate the diagnosis of various diseases.
In this project, a centrifugal microfluidic system is introduced for the automated quantitative detection of total Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) in human serum using the sandwich ELISA method. This system consists of two main components: a microfluidic disc (a disc approximately 15 cm in diameter, featuring a microfluidic network for controlling the flow of reagents and liquids required for the ELISA assay) and a disc player device (a compact, lightweight, and portable device capable of executing customized rotational protocols). To perform the test, a specific volume of the sample is injected into the microfluidic disc, which is then placed in the disc player device. By executing the pre-designed rotational protocol, the biomarker detection process is carried out automatically. This system is expected to facilitate PSA measurement and, consequently, enhance prostate cancer screening in our country.