Development of a Lensless Point-of-Care Device for Urine Analysis

Abstract

Clinical urine tests are valuable diagnostic tools for short and long-term patient care, however current detection techniques are time consuming and expensive. The turnaround time for samples tested for urinary tract infections is ~48 hours and 70% of samples are negative. Similarly, Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection caused by a vaginal pathogen, is misdiagnosed in clinical practice as symptoms are often similar to other conditions and conventional diagnostic tests are not readily available. Quick and accurate diagnosis of urologic and renal conditions is critical to their cost-effective management. This dissertation focuses on the design, fabrication, and implementation of a lensless shadow imaging microscope for urine analysis. The device tested polystyrene beads, Baker’s yeast, bacteria, whole blood, Trichomoniasis vaginalis, and urine samples. Unique and identifiable features were found for each component. To our knowledge, this is the first known report of lensless imaging for urine analysis. In particular, our device demonstrated effective detection of parasites directly in urine samples without the need for concentration or culture. With appropriate adaptations this platform can be developed to detect small particles in urine and contribute to patient diagnosis.