High-Precision Micro-Total Analysis of Sodium Ions in Breast Milk
Author Department
PVLSI
Document Type
Article, Peer-reviewed
Publication Date
1-2025
Abstract
Measuring sodium ion concentration in breast milk can provide crucial health information for both mother and infant, including early signs of low-grade infection and reduced milk supply. Traditional sensing methods are slow, bulky, expensive, and require skilled operators. Here, we develop a coverslip-sized, high-precision lab-on-a-chip device that processes and detects sodium ions in human breast milk. The device uses micro-electrodialysis to extract sodium ions into a simple acceptor solution with 92 ± 3% efficiency and employs a graphene ion-selective sensor for high-performance quantification. We demonstrate a straightforward calibration strategy, enabling the device to measure breast-milk sodium ion levels in 141 seconds, with accuracy comparable to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our approach offers a promising pathway to efficient, point-of-care diagnosis of conditions associated with metal-ion levels in complex liquid-biopsy samples.
Keywords: Lab on a chip; breast milk; graphene; ion-selective field-effect transistor; micro electrodialysis; microTAS; sodium ions.
Recommended Citation
Bao H, Fan X, Zhang X, Zhang X, Kivlighan KT, Schneider SS, Liu J, Johnson ATC, Arcaro KF, Ping J. High-Precision Micro-Total Analysis of Sodium Ions in Breast Milk. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2025 Jan 1;422:136652. doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2024.136652. Epub 2024 Sep 17.
PMID
40416594