Description of solution

In this context the research groups of professors Ballester and Andrade have developed a sensor suitable for the determination of creatinine in biological fluids such as urine or plasma in an accurate, fast, simple, and cost-effective way. The system consists of an electrode with a polymeric membrane that contains an embedded calix[4]pyrrole based ionophore which has a strong affinity towards creatinine and the creatinine cation.  The sensor is highly sensitive with a limit of detection much lower than the normal levels of creatinine in urine or blood. But what is more important, it is highly selective. Some of the most severe interferences observed when sensing large organic cations in biological samples arise from the presence of K⁺ and Na⁺, which are typically vastly more prevalent than the creatininium cation. However, the present sensor displays an enhanced potentiometric response for the creatininium cation compared to those cations that exceeds the required threshold values by half an order of magnitude.

Collaborators

Fundació Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ), Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) and Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV).

License

Patent licensed to Renalyse (CreatSens Health S.L.), an spin-off company from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV).