Topic:Urine

Name:Varsha.K and USN:1MS20EI058

Introduction:
Healthcare industry can be developed by using new technologies which gives affordable
and accessible care. Effective screening, analysis, and diagnosis and facilitates proactive medical
intervention can be done by using continuous health monitoring. Urine tests will help detect
diseases of the urinary system as well as metabolic diseases like diabetes ,liver disease etc. It is
easier to collect urine with simple equipment's .Due to their high throughput and low time
requirements, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices can analyze more sample volume in a
shorter amount of time than traditional detection methods. It is affordable, sensitive, specific,
user-friendly, rapid and robust, equipment-free, and deliverable to end-users paper-based
microfluidics to urine analysis can be used as a solution for providing continuous health
monitoring for dynamic care.
Theory:
A microfluidic paper-based analytical device (µPAD) is fabricated with an extremely
inexpensive material, paper. This allows it to be used as a zero-cost analytical device Unlike the
conventional dipstick, µPADs can enable fluid control including injection, transportation, and
flow rate on the paper. These characteristics are key for the use of µPADs and their potential
applications in zero-cost quantitative urinalysis.
µPADs can be fabricated in two-dimensions or three-dimensions to transport fluids in
the vertical or horizontal dimensions. The chemical treatment changes specific areas of cellulose
paper from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The two parallel hydrophobic lines act as a channel,
because the hydrophilic sample solution cannot penetrate the hydrophobic line or barrier.
The chemical fabrication of µPADs uses photolithography.The fabrication methods can
be broken down into analog and digital methods. Analog methods, which require the use of
a pre-fabricated mask or plate, include Photolithography, Flexographic Printing, Plasma
Treatment, Wax Patterning, Screen Printing, and Wet Etching. As opposed to analog
methods, digital methods allow for near-instantaneous changes to the pattern; these
methods include Laser Patterning, Inkjet Printing, and Pen Plotting. For low-cost, point-of-
care diagnostic devices, the ability to dynamically alter the pattern through digital means is
a significant advantage.
Construction and materials used:
The fabrication of µPADs can be acheived through wax patterning.One simple
chemical patterning is wax pattering on the paper.The process comprises three steps
including designing the shape of the pattern, printing the wax-pattern on the paper using a
wax printer, and heating the patterned paper on hot plate(Fig A)
µPADs can be fabricated in two-dimensions or three-dimensions
Fabrication of two-dimensional microfluidic paper-based analytical devices can be done by
patterning hydrophobic photoresist onto paper by photolithography. The µPAD functionalized by wicking
two reagents, which are sensitive to glucose and proteins, respectively. There are three steps for
fabricating µPADs by wax patterning ie, Design layout , Print devices and Reflow . WP is the printed
width of the wax, WG is the gap between the edge of the parallel printed wax lines before melting, WB is
the thickness of the hydrophobic barrier, WC is the width of the channel after thermal treatment, L is the
length of the spread wax. Actual image of µPAD functionalized by individually wicking three different
reagents including albumin, glucose, and cholesterol.

Working principle and equations:

The first step is to design patterns as hydrophobic barriers on the chromatography paper using
softwares . The designed patterns are printed using the solid-wax printer. After printing patterns on the
paper, the printed paper is placed on a hot plate and the wax on the paper melts and spreads through
the thickness of the paper, thereby forming hydrophobic barriers . The distance of the spread molten
wax on paper can bedescribed by Washburn’s equation
WB =WP+2L
The prediction of the width of the hydrophilic path that acts as a channel determined by two parallel
hydrophobic barriers of the waxis given by the equation
WC =WG–2L
The µPAD was fabricated by printing wax-patterns on chromatography paper using a wax-printer. The
shape of the wax-pattern was designed using Adobe illustrator CS5. The design of the pattern comprised
two components: the sample pad to absorb the sample solution and the assay site to measure the
distances traveled by the albumin and solvent in the sample (Fig. 2A). We spotted a 0–8 mg/mL sample
solution of albumin on the sample pad.The assay method is very simple; the level of albumin was
quantified by measuring the ratio of the distance traveled by the sample solvent versus the distance
traveled by the albumin developed by the transfer of the solvent. The ratio indicates the concentration
of albumin in the sample.The distance traveled by albumin in the sample strongly depends on the
interactions among albumin, solvent, and the adsorbent (tetrabromophenol blue, TBPB) in the paper.
There is a difference between the distance traveled by albumin and water because albumin interacts
more with TBPB which is absorbed in the assay site within the channel,

as compared to water. Additionally, the color of TBPB changes from yellow to blue when bound to
albumins. The assay results can be quantified by calculating the ratio of the length of the color change of
TBPB (from yellow to blue; distance traveled by albumin) versus the distance traveled by water (Fig. 2B).
Fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs). (A) Schematic
illustration of the fabrication of 3D µPADs by stacking layers of papers with tapeA cross-section of the
device after compression to close the gap between individual layers. (C) 3D µPAD fabricated by
lamination with toner as a thermal adhesive. Ports act as vertical flow paths
Advantages and Disadvantages
All assays were compatible with the chip μPADs used.µPADs fabricated using extremely inexpensive
paper can serve as zero-cost analytical devices for urinalysis. It is affordable, sensitive, specific, user-
friendly, rapid and robust, equipment-free, and deliverable to end-users paper-based
microfluidics. There is no requirement external equipment, and therefore, this 3D µPAD is a useful
analytical device in the developing world.[3]
Current trend & research:
Paper-based microfluidics are a promising technological innovation that will likely
contribute to this paradigm shift. Microfluidic devices have already been proven as useful
analytical tools and are significant contributors in preventative care. Unlike glass- and
polymer-devices, paper-based microfluidic devices boast low-cost implementation, facile
fabrication, and disposability while offering the same diagnostic capabilities as their
traditional counterparts. Furthermore, there is a great diversity of fabrication methods
available, some of which are ideal for commercial mass-production. In particular, digital
fabrication methods enabling on-the-spot design, manufacturing, and implementation of
paper-based microfluidic devices will facilitate rapid innovation in this field.[2]
Special features:
The emergence of µPADs is envisioned to overcome many barriers and even eliminate the
traditional detection systems. In addition to the environmental monitoring the µPADs have
been utilized for the sensing of toxic agents in the biological samples as well as drug
abuse.Although the µPADs have originally been developed for the point-of-care diagnostic
applications in developing countries, they are going to change the direction of clinical
diagnosis of various types of diseases mechanistically, in large part because of being rapid,
cost-effective, portable and reliable devices. Various biological molecules like
DNA,proteins,and cancer cells have been detected by these devices. Their impacts on the
detection of pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria make them robust
monitoring tools in the field of biodefense
Real life Applications:
microfluidic paper-based analytical devices can be used in Glucose monitoring,the sensing of
toxic agents  , Ion detection , Ketone assay , Lactate detection , pH measurement , Protein assay ,
Uric acid detection ,  Developing assays based on reagent spotting,detection of pathogenic
microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, Lateral flow assay for urine analysis, Drug
testing
Reference
[3]Mendez, Miguel Angel; Calahorrano, Andrea; Costa-Vera, Cesar; Sanchez, Ruben; Montero-
Oleas, Andrea (2019). [IEEE 2019 IEEE Fourth Ecuador Technical Chapters Meeting (ETCM) -
Guayaquil, Ecuador (2019.11.11-2019.11.15)] 2019 IEEE Fourth Ecuador Technical Chapters
Meeting (ETCM) - Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices for reliable and low-cost point-
of-care applications. , (), 1–6.
[2]Lepowsky, Eric; Ghaderinezhad, Fariba; Knowlton, Stephanie; Tasoglu, Savas (2017).
Paper-based assays for urine analysis. Biomicrofluidics, 11(5), 051501–.