Despite being a key preventative measure for kidney stone patients, metabolic urine testing is underutilised due to the slow collection and turnaround times of existing methods.
This has prompted a research team led by biomedical and mechanical engineer Professor Pak Kin Kwong to develop a new biomimetic detection system, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS)-LAB.
based on surfaces found in carnivorous nepenthes pitcher plants, the SLIPS surface enables samples to combine with the reagent to automatically combine at the required timed rate of reaction, eliminating the need for expensive machinery and trained technicians to perform tests.
The team claims the new test can be performed in clinics or even homes, at a fraction of the cost and time taken for previous testing methods.
“The low cost, rapidity and simplicity of SLIPS-LAB would reduce the barrier for the clinician and patient to undergo stone risk metabolite analysis,” Wong said. “This would improve the management of patients with urinary stone disease and open new possibilities for stone patients to test their urine samples in mobile health settings.”
Source: ScienceDaily
