Respiratory bacterial infections, particularly those affecting the lower respiratory tract, constitute a substantial global health threat due to the existence of diverse pathogenic bacteria with similar symptoms. It is essential to establish rapid and accurate diagnostic techniques for the identification of these pathogenic bacteria. This study achieves this by integrating DNA extraction, nucleic acid isothermal amplification, and CRISPR-based assay onto a digital microfluidic chip. This integration facilitates the specific detection of six types of bacteria within an hour. Operating at 37℃ eliminates the need for repeated thermal cycling, while the voltage-controlled droplet movement obviates the need for bulky auxiliary power equipment. The overall simplicity, cost-effectiveness, high degree of automation, throughput capacity, and clinical sensitivity exhibited by this approach position it as a promising method for the rapid diagnosis of respiratory pathogenic bacteria.
