I-Corps: An inexpensive biosensor for home monitoring of human health

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project relates to the need of developing diagnostic tools for home healthcare. The project may help enable a shift in the way healthcare is delivered by potentially having consumers manage more of their healthcare needs at home. At present, there are a few physical/mechanical devices available for doing this; for example, blood pressure cuffs and wireless scales for helping to manage heart disease. In contrast, there are just a tiny handful of chemical devices available for home use: primarily the glucometer for managing diabetes. The sensor that will be developed in this project will potentially help the 5 million American sufferers of heart failure manage their chronic disease at a low cost and in the comfort of their own home. This will improve the delivery of home healthcare, extend lives, save money, and greatly improve the quality of life. This I-Corps project is based on a simple sensor that detects the presence of a target molecule characteristic of cardiac health. The detection strategy employs a novel electrochemical method that provides quantitative information about heart health from a tiny drop of the patient's blood. Detection takes just about 5 minutes, and the outcome of the assay is transmitted to a doctor's office via a secure cell phone connection. The sensor platform is made of paper, like that used in ink jet printers, and electrodes necessary for detection of the target are made by screen printing. These simple materials and fabrication methods help to ensure that the cost of producing the device is low. Preliminary results show that a pre-prototype version of the sensor is able to detect a target characteristic of kidney failure in urine. It is still necessary, however, to demonstrate that the device will work with unfiltered whole blood.