No more jars Urine can tell a lot about a person's health. For example, scientists have developed a flexible sensor that can be placed in a diaper, measures the content of certain components in the urine and can transmit the results via Bluetooth for real-time analysis. Discuss
The concentration of certain compounds in urine can provide information about many different diseases, including kidney disease, urinary tract infections and electrolyte deficiencies. However, urinalysis usually requires the use of laboratories, which take time, or paper test strips, which are not very sensitive. Xi Xi, Hui-Jun Chen and their colleagues wanted to develop a type of wearable device that could accurately and sensitively measure the concentration of several health markers in urine and report it to healthcare professionals in real time.
The team first made a small, flexible device that included five different electrodes designed to specifically detect potassium, sodium, hydrogen peroxide, uric acid, or glucose ions, which are biomarkers for various diseases. They then connected the device to a PCB with a Bluetooth module and a lithium-ion battery power supply. When it was exposed to urine samples from three volunteers, it showed the same results as a laboratory urine test.
When optimized, this “smart” the diaper could be a way to quickly and painlessly test urine using wearable devices, researchers say.