Design of an electronic device for turbidity detection in blood serum in newborns

Abstract

This work introduces the engineering design of a device capable to detect serum turbidity. We hypothesized that an electronic, portable, and low cost device that can provide objective, quantitative measurements of serum turbidity might have the potential to improve the early detection of neonatal sepsis. The design features, testing methodologies, and the obtained results are described. The final electronic device was evaluated in two experiments. The first one consisted in recording the turbidity value measured by the device for different solutions with known concentrations and different degrees of turbidity. The second analysis demonstrates a positive correlation between visual turbidity estimation and electronic turbidity measurement. Furthermore, our device demonstrated high turbidity in serum from two neonates with sepsis (one with a confirmed positive blood culture; the other one with a clinical diagnosis). We conclude that our electronic device may effectively measure serum turbidity at the bedside. Future studies will widen the possibility of additional clinical implications.