Achira has developed a revolutionary new fabric-based technology to perform lateral flow and electrochemical assays. Using our patented approach, yarn coated with reagents is woven into fabric that can be cut into strips and packaged to make individual or multiplexed test sensors. Strips of this fabric can then be cut out to perform simple, capillary flow-based tests. The inherent scalability of the textile manufacturing process can lead to significant cost savings and ease of manufacturability. The uniqueness of the fabric platform lends itself easily to low resource settings, easy to make through single step assembly process with the potential of using local skills and networks. Achira has partnered with community organizations to weave and assemble skills at the point of care with the aim of generating employment and increasing local availability of tests.

Electrochemical sensors
We have built a textile weaving based platform for the manufacture of electrochemical sensors, which has several advantages over existing techniques. Here, yarns that have been pre-coated with conducting inks and reagents, are woven into fabric at the required location to mass manufacture sensors in a single step (Fig. 1). In contrast to screen-printed sensors, yarn coating can be carried out with exactly the required volume of reagents and inks resulting in lower costs and lower environmental damage.

Immunosensors
Achira has also built lateral-flow immunosensors on the fabric platform. The main advantage over nitrocellulose membranes is that the entire assembly, including conjugate reagents, test and control lines as well as absorbing membranes can be assembled in one step on a loom. The properties of the absorbing medium can be tuned by changing yarn, weaving style and coatings.

Our published work on fabric technology: The following papers have already been published by us on the fabric platform, giving it a solid scientific foundation enabling further product development.

Immunosensors (1), electrochemical sensors (2,5) and SERS (3, Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) sensors have all been demonstrated on the fabric platform.