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Published on: April 16, 2016
Novel microfluidic gelatin-paper-based chip for sensitive colorimetric detection of urine albumin
Chien-Hsuan Ko1, Chin-Chung Tseng2, Hsing-Meng Wang3
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Engineering Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan.
Background:
A novel microfluidic gelatin-paper-based (MGP) chip, together with an integrated smart detection box, is presented for rapid and portable quantification of albumin (ALB) in urine samples. The detection process utilizes bromocresol green (BCG) embedded in a gelatin matrix to facilitate a colorimetric reaction. The reaction product is imaged using a smartphone complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera, and the R, G, and B components are analyzed using a custom-built mobile application for real-time ALB quantification.
Results:
Linearity and agreement were maintained across both controlled and clinical testing. Five control samples produced a linear intensity-ALB relationship (R2 = 0.992), and 20 clinical urine samples showed the same level of correlation with spectrophotometric reference measurements (R2 = 0.992). These outcomes were obtained under the selected operating conditions (1.6 mM BCG, 40 °C, 30 s), where a 10% gelatin matrix improved color-field uniformity and damped background variation, yielding a steadier readout.
Significance:
Such flexibility supports the MGP system as a deployable clinical diagnostic platform, with the potential to extend testing access and strengthen CKD care pathways in diverse environments. Further optimization of temperature operation and assay kinetics may expand the range of compatible targets and use conditions.
