Point-of-Care Urinalysis with One Drop of Sample Using an Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogen under the Coffee-Ring Effect.

Abstract

Development of a practical point-of-care test for urinalysis is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the classical gold standard detection method depends on sophisticated instruments and complicated procedures, impeding them from being utilized in resource-limited settings and daily screening. Herein, we report a rapid point-of-care device for the simultaneous quantification of microalbuminuria and leukocyte using one drop of urine. A luminogen (TTVP) with an aggregation-induced emission property can selectively activate its near-infrared fluorescence in the presence of albumin and leukocyte via hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions. The fluorescence signals from urine albumin and leukocyte could be well-separated combined with the coffee-ring effect. Using a smartphone-based detection device, simultaneous quantification of urine albumin and leukocyte was successfully achieved, which only took 20 min and required one drop of urine. The performance of this system is also verified with 120 clinical samples, which might serve as a simple, low-cost, and rapid tool for CKD screening and disease monitoring at the point of care.