A working prototype of an in-home ionized calcium monitoring device using a paper-based ion-selective optode and an optical reader
Awardee: Xuewei Wang, PhD
Institution: Virginia Commonwealth University
Award Amount: $149,019
Funding Period: January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020
Project Summary:
We are developing test strips for ionized calcium in finger-prick blood samples. One drop of blood can be easily introduced into the strip by patients. The optical response of the strip is recorded by a regular smartphone equipped with a customized app. The test can be finished within two minutes because of the fast sensor response. The concentration of ionized calcium can be accurately determined in a range of 0.1 to 5.0 mmol/L (0.4 to 20.0 mg/dL). There is no interference from other molecules and ions in the blood. Therefore, this new technology will enable the in-home measurement of calcium in the blood and allows the management of hypoparathyroidism by the patient themselves.
Final Summary:
Affordable and portable blood calcium sensors using a smartphone detector have been developed. These sensors empower patients to measure their calcium ion concentration at home using blood collected by fingerstick.
Publications:
R. Wang, X. Wang. Sensing of inorganic ions in microfluidic devices. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2021, 329, 129171
R. Wang, Y. Zhou, N. Ghanbari Ghalehjoughi, Y. Mawaldi, X. Wang. Ion-Induced Phase Transfer of Cationic Dyes for Fluorescence-Based Electrolyte Sensing in Droplet Microfluidics. Analytical Chemistry, 2021
N. Ghanbari Ghalehjoughi, R. Wang, S. Kelley, X. Wang. Ultrasensitive Ionophore-Based Liquid Sensors for Colorimetric Ion Measurements in Blood. Analytical Chemistry, 2023, 95, 12564-12564
A. Ozcelik, S. Clement, A. Patel, C. Welsh, A. Gupta. X. Wang. A Universal Optical Microanalysis Platform Based on Pipette Tips. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2026, 456, 139694
Y. Li, R. Goodhart, A. Patel, X. Wang. Millifluidic Ion-Selective Optodes with Integrated Optical Detection for Colorimetric Quantification of Urinary Calcium. Talanta, 2026, 302, 129358
A. Patel, K. Patel, S. Clement, X. Wang. Ionophore-Based Ion-Selective Optodes Using Hydrocarbons as Ultralow-Polarity Matrices. Analytical Chemistry, 2026, (in press)