Rapid urine stone risk detector

This project has been secured to protect intellectual property.

The project goal is to design and fabricate a rapid, at-home urine test for patients to measure important biomarkers (such as Calcium) for kidney stone risk.

Project Overview

Kidney stones are formed from an imbalance of substances, including calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and citrate, built up in the kidney that are then excreted in the form of urine. Stones that are formed in the urinary tract are often small enough to be excreted without pain, but the development of larger stones can lodge in the ureters, block urine flow and cause severe pain. This condition affected more than 12% of men and 7% of women in the US. [1] After the first encounter with a urine stone episode, the risk of recurrent nephrolithiasis is relatively high. The recurrence rates is 35%, 52% and 75% after 5, 10 and 20 years, respectively.[2] It will be necessary for the adults who fit this high risk profile to monitor their body condition on a regular basis to prevent the formation of urine stone.
The current assessment of kidney stone risk is a 24-hour urinalysis, generally performed once or twice a year. In addition to this procedure's inconvenience (patients often choose to stay at home the entire day so they can collect their daily urinary movements more easily), these tests are inherently biased; patients, knowing that their dietary patterns will be monitored by the urine collection, will commonly change what they eat and drink, creating an inaccurate portrayal of their urinary concentrations.
The purpose of this project's device is to provide a convenient, lab test alternative to 24-hour urine tests. This device should shorten the time of sample analysis which creates a stressless way to track the patient on a more frequent and regular basis. It should allow both doctors and patients to more closely monitor concentration levels of key solutes, specifically calcium and uric acid (substances whose concentrations can be used as warning signs for risk of nephrolithiasis), serving as a way to track progress after dietary or medication changes.

[1] M. S. Pearle, E. A. Calhoun, and G. C. Curhan, “Urologic Diseases In America Project: Urolithiasis,” Journal of Urology, vol. 173, no. 3, pp. 848–857, 2005.

[2] N. M. Maalouf, “Approach to the Adult Kidney Stone Former,” Clinical Reviews in Bone and Mineral Metabolism, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 38–49, 2011.

Team Picture

From left to right: Alex Li (Leader), Micaiah Severe (Communicator), Jennifer Qu (BSAC), Aditya Ailiani (BWIG/BPAG)

Contact Information

Team Members

Alex Li - Team Leader
Micaiah Severe - Communicator
Xiaofei Qu - BSAC
Aditya Ailiani - BWIG & BPAG
Rachel Craven

Advisor and Client

Prof. Pamela Kreeger - Advisor
Dr. Roy Jhagroo - Client

BME Design Projects
Better Health by Design