FIBER OPTICS, FIBER OPTIC CHEMICAL SENSORS (FOCS), AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY WERE COMBINED TO FORM THE NEW TECHNIQUE OF REMOTE FIBER FLUORIMETRY.

FIBER OPTICS, FIBER OPTIC CHEMICAL SENSORS (FOCS), AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY WERE COMBINED TO FORM THE NEW TECHNIQUE OF REMOTE FIBER FLUORIMETRY. THIS METHODOLOGY PERMITS DEVELOPMENT OF DUCTILE PROBES TO MEASURE PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF INTEREST TO THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST. THE KEY TO THIS CONCEPT IS THE FOCS, A FIBER TERMINATION WITH PRESELECTED CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. THIS IS ATTACHED TO THE DISTAL END OF THE FIBER SO THAT SPECIFIC IN VIVO AND IN VITRO CLINICAL MEASUREMENTS CAN BE MADE. A SINGLE FIBER IS USED FOR BOTH EXCITATION AND FOR COLLECTION OF THE FLUORESCENT SIGNAL, KEEPING THE OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE A FOCS SUITABLE FOR MEASUREMENT OF BILE ACIDS. A HYDROXYSTEROID DEHYDROGENASE/NAD SYSTEM WILL BE USED AS THE SPECIFIC INDICATOR. THIS WILL BE IMMOBILIZED ONTO THE FIBER. THE FORMATION OF NADH IN THE PRESENCE OF BILE ACIDS WILL BE MONITORED BY THE FLUORESCENCE EMISSION AT 480 NM USING 340 NM EXCITATION. THE FOCS WILL BE TESTED IN THE LABORATORY USING SYNTHETIC BILE SYSTEMS.