Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy-based microfluidic devices for in vitro diagnostics

Abstract For the last two decades, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has been a useful bioanalytical tool for rapid and sensitive detection of biomolecules because of its highly sensitive and multiplex-detecting capability. In particular, SERS-based in vitro diagnostics combined with microfluidics offers target specificity, automatic sampling, and reduced use of analyte volumes. SERS is a highly sensitive detection modality, and microfluidics provides many advantages such as automatic sample handling and reduced sample volume. Therefore the integration of SERS with microfluidics offers extensive applications in biomedical diagnostics. In this chapter, recent advances in a wide range of SERS-based microfluidic devices such as continuous flow-based microfluidics, paper-based lateral flow assay strips, nano-patterned microarray-embedded microfluidics, and droplet-based microfluidics and their applications for in vitro diagnostics will be introduced.