CapSense-Flex ↗
A capillary cartridge with a molecularly imprinted cortisol electrode. Published in ACS Sensors 11, 3143–3155.
ACS Sensors · 2026Technology
The engineering behind the measurement.
The cartridge combines passive fluid transport, molecularly imprinted recognition and electrochemical measurement. Published cortisol research provides the starting point for product development.
Fig. 2 — Channel cross-section
01 · Fluidics
The chip moves the sample by itself.
Capillary action is the whole fluid-handling system. Channel geometry and surface chemistry pull the sample from the inlet to the sensing surface, so there is no pump, no valve and no external actuation.
Passive transport reduces the fluid-handling hardware. A compact reader is still needed for the electrical measurement. Manufacturing consistency and the complete sampling workflow remain part of development.
02 · Recognition
A synthetic cavity shaped to the hormone itself.
Molecular imprinting builds the recognition site into a polymer. The target molecule acts as a template during polymerisation, then is washed out, leaving a cavity that matches it in shape and chemistry.
Fig. 3 — Molecular imprinting, in three steps
Ambient storage is a goal
The published cartridge retained about 90% of its signal after 60 days at 4 °C. That result does not establish room-temperature shelf life.
Materials designed for scale
Synthetic monomers offer a route to economical recognition chemistry. Finished test cost must also include manufacturing, packaging and quality control.
Built into the device
The sensing layer is formed directly on the electrode, so recognition and readout are the same component.
03 · Readout
An electrical response, calibrated to concentration.
Binding changes the electrode interface. In the CapSense-Flex cortisol study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measures this response, which is calibrated against known concentrations.
The planned product pairs a disposable cartridge with a dedicated reader. Assay precision, calibration stability and agreement with reference methods must be established before clinical use.
Published cortisol benchmark
CapSense-Flex
- Detection limit
- 0.1 ng/mL
- Reported calibration range
- 1–1,000 ng/mL
- Programmable incubation
- 6–30 minutes
- Storage study
- 60 days at 4 °C
Research results for cortisol, not specifications for a finished Hormetrix product. Incubation time is not the complete test time.
Read the published studyWhy it matters
Where imprinted polymers differ from antibody assays.
| Property | Antibody-based assay | Imprinted polymer sensor |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition element | Biological, produced in living systems | Synthetic polymer |
| Storage | Assay-specific storage conditions | Ambient storage under development |
| Shelf life | Established for the complete assay | Complete cartridge stability requires testing |
| Consumable cost | Reagent, production and quality costs | Synthetic monomers; finished cost to validate |
| Workflow | Laboratory or integrated point-of-care formats | Passive transport integrated on a chip |
| Result | Qualitative or quantitative, depending on device | Quantitative cortisol research results |
Comparison of approaches. Performance depends on the complete assay; the Hormetrix product is in development.
Published work
The foundations are in the literature.
These papers describe two related cortisol sensing approaches. The cartridge uses imprinted polymers; the wearable study uses antibodies. Their results should be assessed separately.
WSense4Cort ↗
An antibody-based wearable cortisol immunosensor with sweat storage for parallel reference testing. Published in Chemical Engineering Journal 532, 174373.
Chemical Engineering Journal · 2026Where we are
From published prototype to a registrable product.
We are early, and we say so plainly. This is the path in front of us.
- Complete
- Peer-reviewed laboratory prototypesThe sensing platform and a cortisol application are documented in two 2026 publications.
- Development priority
- Selectivity and panel characterisationEstablishing sensitivity and cross-reactivity for additional hormone targets, beginning with the progesterone feasibility programme.
- Next
- Design for manufactureMoving from hand-built chips to a repeatable production process and a quality system.
- Next
- Clinical validation with partner sitesMeasuring against established laboratory methods in real clinical settings.
Technical partnership
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