Urinary pCO(2) Monitoring System with a Planar Severinghaus Type Sensor

A urinary pCO(2) measurement system with a miniature planar CO2 probe has been developed for monitoring pCO(2) levels in the urine (U-pCO(2)) of catheterized septic shock patients. U-pCO(2) may provide timely recognition of changes in the microcirculatory status of patients and used as an "early" warning of metabolic-cellular dysfunction. The utility of the U-pCO(2) sensor has been demonstrated in monitoring experiments in a model bladder. The agreement between U-pCO(2) values measured with the planar pCO(2) probe and a commercial pCO(2) probe in pooled urine samples projects the possibility of the implementation of the U-pCO(2) measurement system for bedside monitoring.