Development of a smartphone based spectrometer for high-resolution urinalysis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Diagnostics
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health issue, often underdiagnosed due to limitations in current diagnostic tools.
• Existing methods like dipstick urinalysis lack quantitative accuracy, and lab tests are not always accessible for routine monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce SpectraPhone, a smartphone-integrated portable spectrometer for quantitative point-of-care urinalysis.
• To assess SpectraPhone's accuracy in quantifying hematuria and albuminuria, key biomarkers for CKD detection.

Main Methods:

• SpectraPhone utilizes a smartphone's camera and flashlight to capture spectral data for urinalysis.
• The device was optically characterized and empirically validated for quantifying red blood cell (RBC) concentrations and albumin levels.
• Bromophenol blue reagent was used to enhance the accuracy of albumin measurements.

Main Results:

• SpectraPhone accurately quantified RBCs (R² = 0.9913) and albumin (R² = 0.9981).
• With bromophenol blue, albumin measurement accuracy improved significantly (R² = 0.9997), enabling clinical-grade detection.
• Performance metrics (RMSE, MAE) demonstrated superior quantification compared to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• SpectraPhone provides a cost-effective, user-friendly, and accurate solution for point-of-care urinalysis.
• The technology has the potential to revolutionize CKD screening, early diagnosis, and patient management globally.
• It can significantly improve healthcare accessibility for CKD detection, particularly in resource-limited settings.