OCTANE- Oral Cytokine Testing Apparatus for Non-invasive Evaluation

Cytokines such as interleukin-13 (IL-13) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are pivotal biomarkers in type 2 inflammatory diseases, including asthma and allergic airway disorders. Current cytokine quantification methods are limited by centralized laboratory requirements, large sample volumes, and extended assay times, limiting their utility for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. Here, we present OCTANE (Oral Cytokine Testing Apparatus for Non-invasive Evaluation), a portable multiplexed electrochemical biosensing platform employing miniaturized HexaPie.m electrodes and non-faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (nF-EIS) for rapid, label-free detection of IL-13 and TSLP in human saliva. Finite Element Analysis and empirical testing demonstrated that electrode miniaturization enhances sensitivity by increasing baseline impedance and electric field concentration. The OCTANE device integrates automated multiplexing and flexible communication interfaces within a compact form factor, facilitating reliable biomarker quantification with reduced user intervention. The OCTANE device’s performance was rigorously evaluated using calibration curves that demonstrated high linearity and specificity, and spike-and-recovery assays that confirm accurate quantification in complex saliva matrices. Comparative testing with benchtop potentiostats yielded a strong correlation (R 2 > 0.98) and negligible bias, validating the analytical precision of the OCTANE device. The modular design of the OCTANE device further enables adaptability to diverse biomarker panels, positioning it as a next-generation tool for point-of-care immunodiagnostics. • Designed OCTANE , a compact, portable electrochemical biosensing platform. • Features HexaPie.m miniaturized electrodes with reduced saliva volume needs. • Integrates automated multiplexing for six independent electrode readouts. • Provides robust, reproducible nF-EIS performance in modular hardware design. • Shows R 2 > 0.98 correlation and Bland–Altman agreement with benchtop systems.