Engineering a universal and fully automatic analyzer for multichannel and on-site biochemical detection in body fluids.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Rising concerns over wellness and aging have heightened the demand for convenient and efficient on-site health monitoring and disease screening. Current research, focused on specific biomarker detection, often neglects the complexities of sample matrix interference and the absence of a comprehensive, automated platform. To address these issues, we have developed a universal, fully automated analyzer for multifaceted, on-site biochemical analysis of body fluids. METHODS: This analyzer integrates automated sample pretreatment, automatic dilution, detection, and self-cleaning functionalities seamlessly. It is designed to detect a wide range of analytes, from small molecules to macromolecules, including ions and proteins, utilizing spectrophotometric sensing. After optimization, the analyzer achieves performance comparable to traditional Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), while significantly expanding its detection range through automated dilution. RESULTS: Demonstrations of small molecule detection include the simultaneous assessment of citric acid (CA) and oxalic acid (OA) in urine, achieving recovery rates between 96.65%-106.42% and 93.13%-112.50%, respectively. For protein detection, the analyzer successfully identified Cyfra21-1 in saliva with a recovery rate of 104.93%-111.31%. The pre-treatment process requires only 8.8 minutes, showing enhanced recovery rates for CA and OA at 97.8% and 97.6% respectively, which are superior and more rapid than manual methods. CONCLUSION: The exemplary pretreatment and detection performance of the analyzer underlines its effectiveness in multifaceted, on-site biomarker detection, establishing it as a promising and versatile tool for disease screening and health monitoring. SIGNIFICANCE: This analyzer offers a powerful technological solution for on-site fluid testing, advancing community health care by facilitating more reliable and rapid diagnostics.