Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Gülbahçe Campus, Block E, Room K1-36, Urla/Izmir, 35430, Türkiye.
METU MEMS Center, Ankara, 06520, Türkiye.
Sci Rep. 2024 Aug 21;14(1):19441. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-69719-3.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a widespread condition with considerable health and economic impacts globally. However, existing methodologies for serum creatinine assessment often involve prolonged wait times and sophisticated equipment, such as spectrometers, hindering real-time diagnosis and care. Innovative solutions like point-of-care (POC) devices are emerging to address these challenges. In this context, there is a recognized need for remote, regular, automated, and low-cost analysis of serum creatinine levels, given its role as a critical parameter for CKD diagnosis and management. This study introduces a miniaturized system with integrated heater elements designed for precise serum creatinine measurement. The system operates based on the Jaffe method and accurate serum creatinine measurement within a microreservoir chip. Smartphone-based image processing using the hue-saturation-value (HSV) color space was applied to captured images of microreservoirs. The creatinine analyses were conducted in serum with a limit of detection of ~ 0.4 mg/dL and limit of quantification of ~ 1.3 mg/dL. Smartphone-based image processing employing the HSV color space outperformed spectrometric analysis for creatinine measurement conducted in serum. This pioneering technology and smartphone-based processing offer the potential for decentralized renal function testing, which could significantly contribute to improved patient care. The miniaturized system offers a low-cost alternative ($87 per device), potentially reducing healthcare expenditures (~ $0.5 per test) associated with CKD diagnosis and management. This innovation could greatly improve access to diagnosis and monitoring of CKD, especially in regions where access to sophisticated laboratory equipment is limited.
慢性肾脏病（CKD）是一种全球性的普遍疾病，对健康和经济都有重大影响。然而，现有的血清肌酐评估方法通常需要长时间的等待和复杂的设备，如光谱仪，这阻碍了实时诊断和护理。创新的解决方案，如即时检测（POC）设备，正在出现以应对这些挑战。在这种情况下，由于血清肌酐水平是 CKD 诊断和管理的关键参数，因此需要远程、定期、自动和低成本的分析。本研究介绍了一种带有集成加热元件的微型系统，用于精确测量血清肌酐。该系统基于 Jaffe 方法，在微储液器芯片内进行精确的血清肌酐测量。使用智能手机的图像处理应用于微储液器的捕获图像，采用色调-饱和度-值（HSV）颜色空间。在血清中进行肌酐分析，检测限约为 0.4mg/dL，定量限约为 1.3mg/dL。智能手机基于 HSV 颜色空间的图像处理在血清肌酐测量方面优于光谱分析。这项开创性技术和基于智能手机的处理为去中心化的肾功能检测提供了潜力，这可能会极大地改善患者的护理。微型系统提供了一种低成本的替代方案（每个设备 87 美元），可能会降低与 CKD 诊断和管理相关的医疗支出（每次测试约 0.5 美元）。这项创新可以极大地改善 CKD 的诊断和监测的获取，特别是在那些复杂的实验室设备有限的地区。
