We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
RANDOX LABORATORIES

Download Mobile App




Events

ATTENTION: Due to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC, many events are being rescheduled for a later date, converted into virtual venues, or altogether cancelled. Please check with the event organizer or website prior to planning for any forthcoming event.

Wearable Sensing Patch Enables Rapid Quantitative Analysis of Urea in Body Fluids

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Feb 2023
Print article
Image: New approach enables faster testing of urea in body fluids (Photo courtesy of HFIPS)
Image: New approach enables faster testing of urea in body fluids (Photo courtesy of HFIPS)

Urea, which is excreted in sweat, urine, saliva and blood, is a key indicator of renal function in clinical diagnosis. Effective determination of urea levels can enable early detection of diseases. There has been growing focus on wearable fluorescence-based sensors, although traditional fluorescent hydrogels are excited by short wavelengths, hampering the detection of biological samples. Now, researchers have developed a wearable sensing patch that enables the rapid quantitative analysis of urea.

Spontaneous and background fluorescence can interfere with the detection of biological samples. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), which can eliminate the self-fluorescence and background interference of biological samples, are an effective strategy for detecting human biomarkers with high sensitivity. Researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China) have developed a polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel sensor based on an upconversion optical probe, which was composed of UCNPs and p-dimethylamino-cinnamaldehyde (p-DMAC). As a result of the internal filtration effect, the red product produced by the reaction of urea and p-DMAC quenched the green fluorescence of the UCNPs and caused the upconversion fluorescence to change from yellow to red, thus realizing the fluorescence detection of urea.

Based on this, the researchers fabricated a flexible wearable sensor by combining PAM hydrogel and a portable sensor platform built using 3D printing technology. The researchers found the limits of detection of the self-designed upconversion fluorescent probe and the hydrogel sensor to be just 1.4 μM and 30 μM, respectively, which was much lower than the urea content in sweat, implying higher sensitivity. The sensor patch design paves the way for a convenient approach to accurately detect biomarkers in body fluids and for development into a device that could provide disease warning and clinical diagnosis, according to the researchers.

Related Links:
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Gold Supplier
Auto Urinary Sediment Analyzer
EH-2030
New
Rapid HBsAg Immunoassay
Imuno-RÁPIDO HBsAg
New
UTI Culture Test
Uricult
New
Multi-Drug Rapid Test
Multi-Drug Rapid Test

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: The new assay enables accurate prognosis and detection data for those prone to esophageal cancer (Photo courtesy of Previse)

First-of-Its-Kind Test Helps Determine Future Risk of Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer is among the most lethal cancers in the world and has a 20% five-year survival rate post-diagnosis. Barrett's esophagus is the sole precursor known and is a significant risk factor for... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A genetic test could guide the use of cancer chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

Genetic Test Predicts Whether Bowel Cancer Patients Can Benefit From Chemotherapy

Late-stage bowel cancer patients usually undergo a series of chemotherapies and targeted medicines for cancer treatment. However, the responses to the last-line chemotherapy treatment trifluridine/tipiracil... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: Sampling a single stool using multiple PCR panels can identify more pathogens rapidly (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

PCR Panels for Acute GI Infections Can Lower Costs, Hospitalization and Antibiotic Use

Acute gastroenteritis impacts adults across all age groups and incurs enormous healthcare expenses. Now, a new study comprising 40,000 hospital visits across various geographic locations has revealed that... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: Artificial intelligence predicts genetics of cancerous brain tumors in under 90 seconds (Photo courtesy of Michigan Medicine)

AI-Based Diagnostic Screening System Predicts Genetics of Cancerous Brain Tumors in 90 Seconds

The diagnosis and treatment of gliomas increasingly rely on molecular classification, as surgical benefits and risks vary depending on a patient's genetic makeup. Complete removal of the tumor can extend... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Live view of non-fluorescent specimens using the glowscope frame (Photo courtesy of Winona State University)

Device Converts Smartphone into Fluorescence Microscope for Just USD 50

Fluorescence microscopes are utilized to examine specimens labeled with fluorescent stains or expressing fluorescent proteins, like those tagged with green fluorescent protein. However, since these microscopes... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: Roche and Lilly will collaborate on the development of Roche Diagnostics’ Elecsys Amyloid Plasma Panel (Photo courtesy of Roche)

Roche and Eli Lilly Collaborate on Innovative Blood Test for Early Diagnosis of Alzheimer's

Presently, obstacles to timely and precise diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease exist globally, resulting in as many as 75% of individuals exhibiting symptoms but lacking a formal diagnosis.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2023 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.