An Energy-Resolved Optical Non-invasive Device Detects Essential Electrolyte Balance in Humans at Point-of-Care

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Electrolyte balance monitoring is crucial for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, especially those on dialysis.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted risks of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) from frequent blood tests in vulnerable CKD patients.
• There is a critical need for non-invasive methods to assess essential electrolyte levels (Na+, K+).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a non-invasive device for simultaneous salivary sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) level monitoring.
• To provide a rapid, reliable, and accessible diagnostic tool for CKD patient care and infection monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Development of an optical emission spectroscopy (OES)-based device featuring a spark chamber, spectrometer, and custom LabVIEW software.
• Utilizing optical emission from saliva, energized by electron-ion recombination, to determine electrolyte concentrations.
• Conducting a small-scale clinical trial with 30 healthy subjects to validate the device's performance.

Main Results:

• The developed OES device successfully monitored salivary Na+ and K+ levels non-invasively.
• The device is low-cost, portable, and requires only 2 mL of saliva.
• It can simultaneously measure Na+ concentrations from 1.0-190.0 mM and K+ from 1.0-270.9 mM.

Conclusions:

• The indigenously developed non-invasive device shows significant potential for monitoring electrolyte balance in CKD patients.
• This technology offers a safer alternative to blood draws, reducing infection risk and aiding in managing comorbidities like COVID-19.
• The portable, point-of-care nature of the device enhances its applicability in diverse clinical settings.