Disposable Electrochemical Sensor for Urea and Creatinine Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrochemical sensors are unable to provide a reliable, point-of-care measurement of urea and creatinine levels in small blood samples, limiting real-time monitoring of dialysis procedures and requiring laboratory analysis, which is time-consuming and inconvenient for patients.
Innovation Solution
A disposable electrochemical sensor with a 4-layer laminated construction, featuring a working electrode and reference electrode with urease enzyme, capable of measuring urea and creatinine levels in a small blood sample, allowing for simultaneous determination of BUN-to-creatinine ratio using a single device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sensor is designed to measure urea in small blood samples, then the device enables point-of-care monitoring, but the measurement reliability and accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines urea and creatinine measurement capabilities into a single sensor device, allowing simultaneous determination of both analytes from the same blood sample. This merging of functions improves reliability by providing complementary data from one measurement process while maintaining point-of-care convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor is designed with multi-functionality to measure both urea and creatinine using the same device and sample volume. This universal approach enables comprehensive renal function assessment at the point of care without requiring multiple separate devices or larger sample volumes, thereby improving measurement reliability.
2Device complexity
If a sensor measures urea and creatinine simultaneously in a single device, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision and sensor performance become more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor employs separate working electrodes for urea and creatinine measurements within the same device structure. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each electrode's enzyme coating and measurement characteristics while maintaining a unified device platform, thereby achieving manufacturing precision for complex multi-analyte measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sensor substrate are assigned different functions: one area contains urease enzyme for urea measurement while another area contains creatinase enzyme for creatinine measurement. This local differentiation of enzyme coatings and electrode properties enables simultaneous measurement of multiple analytes with high precision despite the integrated device structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If the sensor uses a dissolvable reagent matrix with urease enzyme, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the measurement precision for small blood samples is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor uses a composite reagent matrix combining dissolvable urease enzyme with conductive materials and binding agents. This composite structure maintains the manufacturing advantages of dissolvable matrices while the conductive components ensure sufficient electrical signal generation from small blood samples, preserving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration and distribution of urease enzyme within the reagent matrix, along with adjusting the solubility parameters of the matrix materials. These parameter changes ensure that sufficient active enzyme remains available to process small blood sample volumes while maintaining the dissolvable characteristics for ease of manufacture.
4Loss of time
If the device enables real-time monitoring of dialysis procedures, then the loss of time is reduced, but the device complexity and measurement reliability become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is designed as a self-contained unit that performs both urea and creatinine measurements without requiring external laboratory equipment or complex processing systems. This self-service capability enables real-time monitoring at the point of care while minimizing the overall system complexity by eliminating the need for centralized laboratory infrastructure.
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
Enables fast and accurate measurement of urea and creatinine levels in small blood samples, facilitating real-time monitoring of dialysis and reducing the need for laboratory analysis, with improved reliability and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
The working electrode is loaded with a mixture of at least an enzyme (urease)... The at least one working electrode and the reference electrode are each in electrical contact with separate conductive paths
Implementation Method 2
urea is synthesized from ammonia produced as a result of de-amination of amino acids
Implementation Method 3
disposable electrochemical sensor for measuring urea... electrochemical sensors that can be used for the quantification of a specific component or analyte in a liquid sample
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable urea sensor has a laminated body having a fluid sample inlet end and an electrical contact end, a fluid sample inlet, a substantially flat sample chamber in communication between the fluid sample inlet and a vent opening, the sample chamber being adapted to collect a fluid sample through the fluid sample inlet, a working electrode and a reference electrode within the sample chamber, and a reagent matrix disposed on the working electrode wherein the reagent matrix contains urease.