A fluorescence color card for point-of-care testing (POCT) and its application in simultaneous detection

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus complications affect multiple organs, necessitating efficient glucose detection.
• Current methods for glucose monitoring can be time-consuming or require specialized equipment.
• Point-of-care testing (POCT) is crucial for rapid diagnostics in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and efficient point-of-care testing (POCT) method for glucose detection.
• To utilize a standard colorimetric card for semi-quantitative glucose determination.
• To explore the potential for simultaneous detection of multiple small molecules.

Main Methods:

• A fluorescence color card method was developed for glucose detection.
• A linear relationship was established between grayscale value ratio (I/I0) and the logarithm of glucose concentration (100.0–1000.0 μmol L-1).
• The limit of detection (LOD) for glucose was determined to be 1.1 μmol L-1.

Main Results:

• The developed method demonstrated a good linear relationship for glucose concentration within the specified range.
• Analysis of actual serum and urine samples (30 serum, 7 urine) showed promising results.
• The method achieved a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.1 μmol L-1 for glucose.

Conclusions:

• The proposed POCT method is effective for semi-quantitative glucose determination.
• This method shows significant potential for the primary screening of diabetic patients.
• The universal nature of the method allows for simultaneous detection of multiple small molecules, offering broad diagnostic applications.