Paper-Plastic Hybrid Microfluidic Device for Smartphone-Based Colorimetric Analysis of Urine.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Point-of-Care Diagnostics

Background:

• Traditional urine test strips suffer from time-dependent inaccuracies due to uncontrolled reagent volumes.
• Visual assessment of colorimetric reactions on conventional dipsticks can be subjective and prone to user error.
• Existing methods lack integration for quantitative analysis and user-friendly data interpretation in point-of-care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a disposable paper-plastic hybrid microfluidic lab-on-a-chip (LOC) for quantitative urine analysis.
• To integrate conventional urine test strips into a microfluidic device for improved accuracy and consistency.
• To utilize a smartphone-based optical platform and dedicated app for enhanced visual assessment and data analysis.

Main Methods:

• A hybrid LOC device was fabricated by integrating paper-based reagent strips into a plastic microchannel.
• A finger-actuating micropump controlled the precise delivery of a small urine volume (40 μL).
• Colorimetric reactions for glucose, protein, pH, and red blood cells (RBCs) were analyzed using a smartphone app.

Main Results:

• The hybrid LOC device demonstrated improved consistency compared to conventional dipstick methods, mitigating time-dependent deviations.
• The smartphone app facilitated enhanced visual assessment of colorimetric changes, addressing a key user concern.
• Quantitative analysis of multiple urine analytes was achieved with a small sample volume.

Conclusions:

• The developed disposable hybrid LOC is a user-friendly and cost-effective tool for point-of-care (POC) urinalysis.
• Integration with a smartphone platform enhances the reliability and accessibility of colorimetric urine testing.
• This technology shows potential for rapid, qualitative POC urinalysis, improving upon traditional methods.