The development of home-based and point-of-care maternal health diagnostic device to enable maternal health monitoring for individuals residing in maternity care deserts to ultimately reduce severe maternal mortality.

Project Overview

Despite estimated global maternal mortality rates declining since 1990, the US has instead seen an increase and currently has one of the highest rates in the world [1]. Many postpartum complications, such as hemorrhaging, sepsis, and cardiovascular problems, can arise within the first year after childbirth. When diagnosed early, many of these conditions can be prevented. Therefore, it is essential to create a product that can monitor biomarkers for these conditions and diagnose potential maternal complications early.

Throughout this semester, the team will be targeting postpartum sepsis biomarkers using a lateral flow assay technique in conjunction with an optical measurement system. The team will focus on C-Reactive Protein (CRP) as a biomarker for sepsis that can be detected using the lateral flow assay and measured using analysis of smartphone images. The developed technology should be user-friendly to enable at-home or point-of-care (POC) applications by untrained users. The biosensor should frequently monitor health conditions to inform timely return to clinical care when necessary.

References:
[1] R. A. Douthard, I. K. Martin, T. Chapple-McGruder, A. Langer, and S. Chang, “U.S. Maternal Mortality Within a Global Context: Historical Trends, Current State, and FutureDirections,” Journal of Women’s Health, vol. 30, no. 2, p. 168, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8863.

Team Picture

Contact Information

Team Members

• Meghana Kalluri - Team Leader
• Cate Flynn - Communicator
• Fiorella Fernandez - BSAC
• Elli Hosokawa - BWIG
• Alexandria Thao - BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Amit Nimunkar - Advisor
• Prof. Filiz Yesilkoy - Client

Related Projects

• Fall 2023: Maternal health monitor
• Spring 2023: Maternal health monitor
• Fall 2022: Maternal health monitor