Saliva testing system

Inventors

Skafidas, Efstratios • ABEYRATHNE, Chathurika Darshani • Chana, Gursharan • HUYNH, Duc Hau • KILPATRICK, Trevor John • LUTHER, Alan D. • Luther, Michael • NGUYEN, Phuong Duc • NGUYEN, Thanh Cong

Assignees

MX3 Diagnostics Inc

Abstract

A method for using saliva to measure at least one substance or physiological parameter of a human or animal subject may involve inserting a first end of a sensor into a handheld saliva testing device. The method may also involve receiving saliva from the subject on a second end of the sensor, moving the saliva from the second end of the sensor to the first end, and processing the saliva with the handheld saliva testing device to provide initial saliva data related to the at least one substance or physiological parameter of the subject. In some embodiments, the sensor remains inserted in the handheld device while the subject deposits saliva on the opposite, free end of the sensor.

Core Innovation

A saliva testing system is described for measuring at least one substance or physiological parameter of a human or animal subject using a handheld saliva testing device and a disposable saliva sensor. The system includes a saliva sensor strip inserted into a sensor slot of the handheld device, where a free end of the sensor remains part of the device during saliva collection. Saliva is moved through the sensor to enable detection of characteristics associated with the substance or physiological parameter.

The saliva sensor includes a bottom layer, multiple electrodes applied to the bottom layer, a top layer, and at least one microfluidic channel between the bottom layer and the top layer. The microfluidic channel directs saliva from one end to an opposite end of the saliva sensor. A material between the bottom layer and the top layer is chemically functionalized to facilitate movement of the saliva along a length of the saliva sensor.

The sensing approach uses electrodes and associated electrochemical circuitry to detect analyte characteristics, including hydration-related measurements such as osmolality or osmolarity, and to generate a hydration detection signal that is processed to provide final measurement data such as a hydration score. The handheld device generates initial data and provides audio/visual alerts, and the sensor can be ejected after measurement. The described system further includes a computer application for measurement data processing, with optional cloud connectivity, dashboards, login and device pairing, and results display.

Claims Coverage

The claim coverage includes one independent claim directed to a saliva sensor with microfluidic saliva transport and electrodes, for use with a saliva testing device to measure at least one substance or physiological parameter. The coverage is focused on structural features: bottom layer, top layer, multiple electrodes, at least one microfluidic channel, and chemically functionalized material to facilitate saliva movement.

The inventive coverage centers on directing saliva through microfluidic channels between bottom and top layers while using multiple electrodes and a chemically functionalized material to facilitate saliva movement along the sensor length.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications