Disposable optical slide provides a snapshot of metabolic parameters from a drop of blood at the bedside

The metabolic status of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is of critical importance and requires frequent monitoring. Tests done outside of the ICU with slow turnaround may cause undesirable patient outcomes. The numerous disposable test strips required for patient care increase the already high costs of care in the ICU. We have developed a low-cost, reusable optical slide which can provide a metabolic snapshot of a variety of parameters at the point of care from a single drop of blood. The slide incorporates optode-based sensing zones that change color according to the concentrations of the respective analytes. The results can be read by the naked eye, or digitally with an inexpensive reader. Utilizing a single reusable slide for multiple screenings for the same patient makes the device more cost-effective than commercial devices, and improves compliance for disease management. The device is ideally suited for both developed and developing economies. In a pilot clinical trial in the ICU, the performance of the proposed tester compared favorably with parallel results obtained in the central clinical lab.