Effect of Thermoelectric Freeze Concentration on Cost and Sensitivity of Point of Care Diagnostics

Point of Care diagnostics are low-cost methods to diagnose these illnesses, but they are generally only effective when the infection has begun to cause symptoms. Concentrating biological samples has been proven to increase the sensitivity of POC tests and could allow for earlier diagnosis to help monitor the spread of disease. This study reviewed the benefits of freeze concentration over other techniques to process samples in rural areas with limited infrastructure. Additionally, it analyzed the efficiency of thermoelectric devices as the cooling source for freezing. This analysis was conducted reviewing literature on the benefits of concentrating biological samples, software modeling the thermodynamics of a freeze concentrated system, and evaluating a physical model of this process. The software model established trends in altering L/D ratios of sample tubes and thermoelectric temperature. The physical model was successful in increasing the concentration of a red food dye solution through freezing with a thermoelectric device, showing this technique could be beneficial for minimal and efficient concentration devices.