Technical details:

The process resides in the immobilization of Cholesterol Oxidase in Silicate Sol Gel by micro-encapsulation technique and depositing the sol gel film so obtained onto a conducting Indium Tin Oxide(ITO) coated glass plate which acts as an enzyme  electrode.

Cholesterol sensing protein molecules and a dye have been co-immobilized on the paper strips using physiadsorption technique and used for cholesterol estimation. Activity of these cholesterol sensing strips were measured using UV-Visible spectrophotometer technique. An indigenously designed optoelectronics cholesterol meter developed at NPL was optimized for estimation of cholesterol through rigorous testing.

Specifications of Cholesterol biosensor:  

1. Weight of cholesterol meter: 162gm
2. Dimensions: 105 x110 x 25mm
3. Display LCD monitor
4. Response time: 2 minutes
5. Linearity: 50-400 mg/dl 

Major Equipment  requirement: 

          i.            UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

         ii.            FTIR

         iii.           Automatic Liquid Dispenser

        iv.           Hot Embossing Machine

        v.            Deep Freezer

        vi.           Scientific weighing machine

        vii.          Packing machine

        viii.         Milli Q water System

        ix.          Clean Room Facility (Class 100) 

Raw Materials requirement: 

         i.           Enzymes

        ii.           Dye

        iii.           Electronic Components

        iv.           PVC Strips

        v.           Membranes 

Importance of Cholesterol: 

Cholesterol has aroused considerable interest in recent years on account of its being an important parameter in clinical diagnosis. Cholesterol is an essential structural constituent of cell membranes, provides durability and integrity to the cell architecture. Almost all membranes contain varying level of cholesterol and the level changes during different physiological conditions. Elevated levels of blood cholesterol are associated with atherosclerosis, nephrosis, diabetes milletus (DM), myxedema, jaundice and decreased levels may result in hyperthyroidism, anaemia and maladsorption. Determination of cholesterol concentration in blood and serum is a fundamental parameter for the prevention and diagnosis of a number of clinical disorders such as heart diseases, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and cerebral thrombosis, coronary and peripheral vascular diseases. A colorimetric based cholesterol biosensor has been developed and designed by the Biomolecular Electronics & Conducting Polymer Research group at NPL, New Delhi.