Sample preparation is an essential but time-consuming step in nearly all analytical processes. In clinical diagnosis where time is a critical factor, it is important that any sample preparation be rapid, consistent, and simple in order to reduce turnaround time and allow for faster and better treatment. One method of sample preparation that has been developed for this process is microwave-assisted extraction using simple, passive devices called microwave lysing triangles (MLTs). MLTs use metal surface structures on a glass substrate to concentrate microwave radiation from a common microwave source, the magnetron of a microwave oven, to a small region of high electric field intensity. This concentrated field leads to rapid heating and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from atmospheric oxygen in the sample which in turn leads to the rapid extraction and fragmentation of DNA, RNA, or proteins in a sample. To increase sample throughput, metasurfaces, which are periodic arrays of subwavelength, metal scattering elements on a dielectric substrate have been developed to mimic the heating and ROS generating properties of MLTs on standard 96-well microplates. Thus far reactive metasurfaces have been developed for the microwave frequency range and shown to provide rapid heating, pathogen inactivation, and reactive species generation in a 96-well microplate upon irradiation. Current work is focused on optimizing the reactive metasurfaces to provide an even distribution of heating and ROS generation over an entire 96-well microplate.

Reactive metasrufaces for microwave-assisted sample preparation in clinical diagnosis

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