Acousto-mechanofluidic synergy: A GHz resonator-enhanced rotary valve system for fully automated, efficient point-of-care nucleic acid testing

The advancement of point-of-care testing (POCT) is critical for decentralized molecular diagnostics, yet current platforms are hindered by inefficient mixing, complex workflows, long turnaround times, and operator dependency. This study presents the acoustofluidic-enhanced integrated system (AEIS), a fully automated platform that integrates a GHz acoustic resonator with a micro-valve control system for nucleic acid testing. The resonator generates intense acoustic streaming vortices, enabling second-scale mixing and reducing nucleic acid extraction time to under 4 min. Coupled with hydroxyl-modified polystyrene microbeads for nucleic acid extraction (98% efficiency) and automated fluidic control via a rotary valve, the system detects EGFR L858R mutations in plasma with a limit of detection of 2.6 copies/μl and completes the sample-to-answer workflow within 30 min. This enclosed, low-cost, and portable platform minimizes contamination and operator intervention, offering a sensitive and efficient solution for on-site testing in infectious disease control and early cancer screening.