Polysaccharide-Based Materials for the Development of Point-of-Care Devices

Polysaccharide-based materials are increasingly used for the development of point-of-care (POC) devices or some of their components. This chapter aims to provide an overview of POC devices manufactured with natural occurring polysaccharides and subsequently expose and comment on some recent applications. Initially, after a about the role of POC devices in our society, the features of the most commonly used polysaccharides (neutral, basic or acidic) is provided. Attention was then focused on their application fields mainly for medical care devices but also of food quality monitoring and environmental safety. A critical discussion about advantages but also critical aspects is provided together with future perspectives and challenges.