Color Trajectory Analysis for Urine Analyte Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for interpreting reagent dipstick test results in medical diagnostics are imprecise due to reliance on manual color comparison, which is subjective and prone to errors from ambient lighting and color vision limitations, and fail to account for the rate of color change over time.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that continuously monitor color changes over time, using a portable device to capture sequences of images and analyze chemical reactions, incorporating color time-gradients and statistical corrections for temperature and acidity, to provide precise and accurate analyte concentration measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual color comparison methods are used, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to subjective errors and ambient lighting effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical color comparison process with an automated digital image processing system. A portable device captures images of the reagent test pad, and software algorithms automatically analyze color changes, eliminating subjective human interpretation while maintaining portability and ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a digital image as an intermediary between the color change on the test pad and the final measurement result. The image captures the color information objectively, and processing algorithms serve as intermediaries to convert this visual data into precise analyte concentration measurements, removing direct human subjectivity from the measurement chain.
2Reliability
If single time-point color measurement is used, then the measurement process is simple, but the reliability deteriorates because it does not account for reaction kinetics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous color monitoring by capturing multiple images at different time points during the chemical reaction process. This continuous observation allows the system to track the rate of color change and use kinetic modeling to improve measurement reliability, transforming a static snapshot approach into a dynamic temporal analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the observed color change rate as feedback to adjust and refine the measurement. By monitoring how the color evolves over time and comparing it against expected kinetic patterns, the system can verify reaction completion, detect anomalies, and improve the reliability of the final concentration determination.
3Measurement precision
If manual interpretation is used, then the ease of operation is high, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to color vision limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the human visual system with a digital camera-based color detection system. The camera captures precise color information across the visible spectrum, and processing algorithms objectively analyze these data, eliminating the limitations of human color vision while maintaining simple operation through automated analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances diagnostic accuracy by removing subjective errors and accounting for the rate of color change, providing near-real-time results and improved precision in analyte concentration measurements, even in uncontrolled lighting conditions.
Implementation Method 1
Dipsticks are laminated sheets of paper containing reagents that change color when exposed to an analyte solution. The magnitude of the color change of the reagent test pads is proportional to analyte concentration in the biological sample fluid.
Implementation Method 2
an optical system and appropriate algorithms are used for making a concentration assessment by taking multiple readings of the colour and determining the colour production rate
Data Source
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AI summary
In one embodiment, an apparatus for automatic test diagnosis of a test paddle is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a personal computing device including: a camera to capture images over time of test pads of a test paddle, a processor coupled to the camera, and a display device coupled to the processor. The processor analyzes the color changes over time of each test pad to determine a color trajectory over time for each test pad. The processor compares the color evolution trajectory for each test pad with color calibration curves for each test pad to determine an analyte concentration of a test biological sample, such as urine. During the analysis by the processor, the display device displays a user interface with results of the analyte concentration in response to the analysis over time.