THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A RAPID, SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE, AND SENSITIVE FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAY SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE TO MONITOR DRUGS AND HORMONES IN THE SERA OF A PATIENT DURING HIS VISIT.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A RAPID, SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE, AND SENSITIVE FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAY SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE TO MONITOR DRUGS AND HORMONES IN THE SERA OF A PATIENT DURING HIS VISIT. THE FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAYSYSTEM CAN DETECT ANALYTES IN SERA IN THE MICROGRAM PER MILLILITER TO SUBNANOGRAM PER MILLILITER RANGE WITH A PROCEDURE REQUIRING LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. IT IS A HOMOGENEOUS ASSAY THAT OVERCOMES THE LIMITATIONS OF FLUORESCENCE IMMUNOASSAY MEASUREMENTS BY USING SPECIAL PROBES AND ELIMINATING NON-SPECIFIC BINDING OF PROBES AND ANALYTES. PRINCETON SEPARATIONS, INC. HAS AIMED TO SHOW THAT THREE ANALYTES (DIPHENYLHYDANTOIN, THYROXINE, AND DIGOXIN) CAN BE DETECTED IN SERA WITH COEFFICIENTS OF VARIATION OF LESS THAN 10% USING A DEDICATED, INEXPENSIVE, AND SIMPLE FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION INSTRUMENT SUITABLE FORUSE IN THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE. NO PHYSICAL SEPARATION OR PRETREATMENT OF SERA IS REQUIRED. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THESE GOALS WILL HELP SATISFY THE NEED FOR NON-HOSPITAL DRUGMONITORING FOR THE INCREASING POPULATION OF OLDER AMERICANS.