AUTOANALYZER FOR FIVE HEMOGLOBIN SPECIES

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE TOTAL HEMOGLOBIN CONCENTRATION OF WHOLE BLOODAND THE RELATIVE CONCENTRATIONS OF OXY-, DEOXY-, CARBOXY-, MET-, AND SULFHEMOGLOBIN. THE CHIEF STRATEGY IS TO MAKE BEER'S LAW APPLY TO WHOLE BLOOD BY MINIMIZING THE EFFECTS OFLIGHT SCATTERING AND TO EMPLOY MATRIX MATH TECHNIQUES TO SOLVE FOR THE FIVE HEMOGLOBIN CONCENTRATIONS FROM OPTICAL DENSITIES MEASURED AT FIVE CAREFULLY CHOSEN WAVELENGTHS. THE INSTRUMENT WOULD HAVE NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES OVER THOSE NOW ON THE MARKET. IT WOULD NOT HEMOLYZE OR DILUTE THE BLOOD AND WOULD BE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT EMPLOY CUMBERSOME PLUMBING, PUMPS, OR HEMOLYZERS. UNLIKE EXISTING INSTRUMENTS, IT WOULD MEASURE SULFHEMOGLOBIN, AND ITS OTHER MEASUREMENTS WOULD NOT BE INVALID WHEN SULFHEMOGLOBIN IS PRESENT.