Compact highly sensitive photothermal RT-LAMP chip for simultaneous multidisease detection

Developing instant detection systems with disease diagnostic capabilities holds immense importance for remote or resource-limited areas. However, the task of creating these systems—which are simultaneously easy to operate, rapid in detection, and cost-effective—remains a challenge. In this study, we present a compact highly sensitive photothermal reverse transcriptase–loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) chip (SPRC) designed for the detection of multiple diseases. The nucleic acid (NA) amplification on the chip is achieved through LAMP driven by either LED illumination or simple sunlight focusing. SPRC performs sample addition and amplification within a limited volume and autonomous enrichment of NA during the sample addition process, achieving a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.2 copies per microliter. Through 120 clinical samples, we achieved an accuracy of 95%, with a specificity exceeding 97.5%. Overall, SPRC has achieved promising progress in the application of point-of-care testing (POCT) by using light energy to simultaneously detect multiple diseases.