Impedance measurement system for automatic determination of glycated hemoglobin

In this study, an automatic glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) impedance measurement system (AHMS) is developed for the detection of HbA_1c. The proposed device removes some of the drawbacks of common instruments for HbA_1c detection (i.e., large, expensive, difficult to operate) by detecting the ratio of HbA_1c to Hb. The method is label-free and requires only a small sample volume; no additional reagents are required. The manpower consumption and bulk of the instrument are also reduced. The method provides a simple way to analyze impedance deviation and effectively reduces the effort required by the operator. The ratios of HbA_1c to Hb (4%-7%) are well distinguished, and the experiment is used to build a database for AHMS. To check the reliability of the proposed system, a sample test using three different ratios of HbA_1c is applied in this study. The sample test uses HbA_1c to Hb ratios of 4.7%, 5.6%, and 6.8%, and the determined experimental values are 4.93%, 5.8%, and 6.83%, respectively. The sample test has an accuracy of approximately 96.99%. Based on these results, the proposed system for detecting HbA_1c through protein coverage is both effective and feasible.