2019-949 Measurement of Serum Phosphate Levels Using a Mobile Sensor

SUMMARY

Researchers in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have built a portable and cost-effective, point-of-care smartphone attachment capable of measuring serum phosphate levels using a single drop of blood (<60 μl).

BACKGROUND

Managing elevated serum phosphate levels is crucial for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and those on maintenance dialysis, as abnormal phosphate levels may be associated with severe health risks. While monitoring serum phosphate levels should be done on a regular basis, measurements are generally limited to once every 1-3 months since measurements can currently only be performed at a clinic. Despite the emerging medical advances in dialysis technology, the mortality rates of ESRD patients remains elevated. There is a need to develop tools to serum phosphate monitoring tools to measure levels at home, or in resource-limited settings.

INNOVATION

UCLA researchers here present a portable and cost-effective point-of-care device capable of measuring serum phosphate levels using a single drop of blood (<60 µl). This is achieved by integrating a paper-based microfluidic platform with a custom-designed smartphone reader. This mobile sensor was tested on patients undergoing dialysis, and the results showed a strong correlation with the clinical laboratory tests performed on the same patient samples (Pearson coefficient r = 0.95 and p<0.001). The smartphone attachment is 3D printed and weighs about 400 g and costs less than $80 USD, whereas the material cost for the disposable test is $3.5 USD. The entire measurement process can be employed at point-of-care in about 45 mins and can be used daily by patients at home.

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS