Towards practical point-of-care quick, ubiquitous, integrated, cost-efficient molecular diagnostic Kit (QUICK) PCR for future pandemic response

In response to the ongoing threat of infectious disease outbreaks, such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous technological advancements in nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) based point-of-care test (PoCT) have been introduced to enable simple, rapid, and accurate diagnostic tests. However, only a few innovations in NAAT methods have been successfully commercialized. In this review, the significant advancements in diagnostic technologies, focusing on sample preparation methods, rapid thermal cycling technologies, and integrated result readout methods, are summarized with their key limitations that have hindered the practical implementation of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based PoCT, called a QUICK-PCR: quick, ubiquitous, integrated, cost-efficient molecular diagnostic kit based on PCR. In addition, the details of the core components to realize QUICK-PCR were prospectively suggested with a comparative overview for the PCR-based molecular diagnosis process, innovations in sample preparation using microfluidic chips, and direct PCR approaches. Especially, advancement in recent thermal cycling techniques that use Joule heating, thermoelectric heating, and plasmonic heating were highlighted while integrated readout methods that utilize fluorescence, colorimetry, and electrochemical techniques were examined. Based on analyzing key barriers in developing PCR-based PoCT, we highlight recent advancements in developing the PCR-based PoCT which can be implemented in the QUICK-PCR. The prospective QUICK-PCR will remove inequality in health care in resource-limited remote areas under the threatens of infectious diseases.