IIT Guwahati develops 3D printed device for fast diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infection

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati researchers have designed and fabricated a 3D-printed, cost-effective device for the diagnosis of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). The research team was led by Partho Sarathi Gooh Pattader.

The team has created a Point-Of-Care testing (POCT) prototype that can accurately detect specific bacteria causing UTI in just five minutes, compared to the conventional method of urine culture, which takes a few days.

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The research has been published in the ACS Applied Bio Materials journal. The paper features contributions from Aniruddha Deb, Partho Sarathi GoohPattader, and Tapas K Mandal from IIT Guwahati, along with Swapnil Sinha and Mousumi Gogoi from Altanostic Lab Private Limited, IITG Research Park.

The newly developed device for UTI diagnosis is fast, accurate, and produces reliable results at an affordable cost. The estimated cost of manufacturing the device is only Rs 608 while testing a single sample will cost Rs 8.

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The device uses a biosensor prototype that detects a change in light intensity. The developed prototype is generic and can be tailored to identify different types of bacteria. This will benefit primary healthcare and disease management.

The research has been funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of the Government of India.

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UTI is a widespread health concern, both in India and globally. Females, especially during pregnancy, are more susceptible to the infection. UTI is caused by various bacteria and has symptoms such as a burning sensation during urination and frequent urges to urinate which can lead to kidney infections. In many rural areas, UTI cases often go undetected due to the lack of adequate testing facilities and the high cost and time associated with conventional diagnostic methods.

Partho Sarathi Gooh Pattader, associate professor, department of chemical engineering, IIT Guwahati said, “Early-stage detection of UTI is important to provide timely treatment. The Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) prototype developed at IIT Guwahati is a photodetector that detects and quantifies a specific UTI-causing bacteria called ‘Klebsiella pneumonia within five minutes from a patient’s urine sample. The detection of ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ is important not only because this bacteria is responsible for UTI, but also for pneumonia and for the infection of soft tissue.”