Single-Use Test Strip for Simultaneous Sodium and Creatinine Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining sodium and creatinine concentrations in urine samples are invasive, time-consuming, and not suited for point-of-care diagnostics, often requiring laboratory equipment and skilled personnel, which can lead to delayed identification of sodium depletion or overload in patients.
Innovation Solution
A single-use test-strip with a substrate and electrode assembly, including sodium-selective and creatinine-selective working electrodes, along with a non-invasive point-of-care device for potentiometric measurement of sodium and creatinine concentrations in urine samples, allowing for simultaneous and quantitative determination of these values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional laboratory methods (flame photometry, electrophysiological methodology) are used to determine sodium and creatinine concentrations, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable test strips with integrated electrodes for sodium and creatinine measurement. These single-use strips eliminate the need for complex, expensive laboratory equipment while providing adequate measurement precision for clinical decision-making. The disposable nature ensures consistency and reduces calibration requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the measurement function from complex laboratory settings by implementing selective electrodes directly in a portable point-of-care device. This extraction allows sodium and creatinine concentration determination to be performed outside centralized laboratories, reducing device complexity requirements while maintaining measurement capability.
2Measurement precision
If conventional laboratory methods are used for sodium and creatinine determination, then measurement accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement process is segmented into independent electrochemical detection channels on the test strip, allowing simultaneous determination of sodium and creatinine concentrations. This parallel processing approach eliminates sequential measurement delays while maintaining accuracy through dedicated selective electrodes for each analyte.
Solution Approach 2:
The test strip performs self-measurement through automatic potential detection by the selective electrodes upon contact with the urine sample. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual sample preparation, calibration procedures, and operator intervention, significantly reducing diagnostic time while preserving measurement precision.
3Reliability
If centralized laboratory methods are used, then measurement reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical and chemical laboratory procedures with electrochemical sensing based on selective electrodes. This substitution maintains measurement reliability through specific electrode-sample interactions while dramatically simplifying operation to a simple dip-and-read process suitable for point-of-care use by non-specialized personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable device integrates multiple measurement functions (sodium concentration, creatinine concentration, and ratio calculation) into a single universal platform. This multi-functionality ensures comprehensive diagnostic capability while maintaining ease of operation through a unified user interface and automated processing.
4Measurement precision
If invasive blood sampling methods are used for sodium determination, then measurement precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses urine as an intermediary medium to assess body sodium status indirectly. By measuring sodium and creatinine concentrations in urine and calculating their ratio, the device provides reliable information about body sodium balance without requiring invasive blood sampling, thereby eliminating patient discomfort and associated risks while maintaining diagnostic precision.
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 rapid, non-invasive, and cost-effective detection of sodium depletion or overload at the point-of-care, facilitating timely patient management and reducing the need for complex laboratory procedures.
Implementation Method 1
The test-strip... allows the determination of sodium concentration and creatinine concentration in a patient's urine sample to take place by potentiometric measurement(s)
Implementation Method 2
The test-strip... allows the determination of sodium concentration and creatinine concentration in a patient's urine sample to take place by potentiometric measurement(s)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a single-use test-strip for the quantitative determination of sodium concentration and creatinine concentration and for the subsequent determination of their ratio, and to a non-invasive point-of-care (POC) device for detecting sodium depletion and/or sodium overload in a patient's body. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for simultaneously and quantitatively determining sodium concentration and creatinine concentration in a patient's urine sample and to a method of detecting sodium depletion and/or sodium overload in a patient's body.