Click&Go

In this project, a marketable cassette-based analysis system for quasi-continuous monitoring of the acid-base, blood gas and electrolyte status of critically ill patients is to be realized. The heart of the Click & Go analysis system is a microfluidic disposable sensor cassette which contains all essential components (electrochemical microsensors, microfluidics as well as the actuator system consisting of micropump and valves as well as the calibration solutions) for quasi-continuous blood sample analysis. The disposable sensor cassette is used directly on the patient via existing tube systems, e.g. arterial invasive blood pressure measurement, and connected to a reusable control unit (console). The measurement data is transferred to a display module with touch screen (user interface) and HIS/HIS interface (hospital information system). The development and technical realisation of the disposable sensor cassette is determined by an extremely favourable cost structure of the individual modules, subcomponents and functional materials used, as well as intelligent system integration for later production processes. In the NMI subproject, a stable reference electrode and assembly and connection technologies for the sensor card will be developed and application tests carried out.
The following work and partial goals are aimed at:

1. Development of stable, low-priced and robust microsensors for electrolytes (K+, Na+, Ca2+), pH-value, pO2 (oxygen partial pressure), pCO2 (carbon dioxide partial pressure) and Hkt (haematocrit) under consideration of newest material and process developments. Production of a compact sensor card.
2. Development of manufacturing processes for the production of the disposable sensor cassette and integration of calibration liquids. Combination of fluidics (valve and pump functions in the injection moulding process) and sensor technology (sensor card).
3. Development of manufacturing processes for the production of miniature actuators to control the fluidics in the disposable sensor cassette. Development of the interface control module/disposable sensor cassette.
4. Development and production of the electronic components for the miniaturized measurement and digitization of the sensor signals, control of the actuators in the control module and the data transmission from/to the display module.
5. Creation of a specification list with all guidelines, specifications and boundary conditions for the interface disposable sensor cassette/extracorporeal blood circulation.