Next-generation point-of-care platforms: System-level fusion of microfluidics, CRISPR-based molecular diagnostics and in-sensor computing technologies

Abstract

The future of Point-of-Care Platforms depends upon advancing on-site decision-making capabilities by integrating sensing, signal processing, and interpretation within the same physical architecture rather than treating them as separate stages. Emerging paradigms, such as In-sensor computing and In-memory sensing/computing, can enable such systems by performing bio-signal acquisition and interpretation within the same hardware platform, significantly reducing latency and power consumption while eliminating dependence on external processors and cloud connectivity, making diagnostics more compact and suitable for field deployment. The progress in microfluidics and CRISPR-based molecular detection has already brought the analytical performance up to laboratory standards, offering programmable specificity and sensitivity in the attomolar range. Modern electronic solutions have further enabled continuous and quantitative monitoring at ultra-low power. This review presents modern POCT as a system-level fusion of microfluidic control, biochemical recognition and electronic sensing supported by In-memory intelligence that facilitate reliable and faster clinical decisions ensuring timely therapeutic interventions.