INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE OXYGEN EQUILIBRIUM CURVE

THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND DELIVER A NEW FULLY AUTOMATED INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE, RECORD AND ANALYZE THE OXYGEN EQUILIBRIUM CURVE OF BLOOD AND/OR HEMOGLOBIN SOLUTIONS. IT WILL BE A WORKING VERSION OF AN INSTRUMENT EXISTING IN THE CONTRACTING ARMY LABORATORY. IT WILL BE FULLY COMPUTER CONTROLLED BY AN 80386 OR 68020 BASED PERSONAL COMPUTER EQUIPPED WITH I/O BOARDS FOR DATA ACQUISITION AND CONTROL AND A STEPPER MOTOR INDEXER BOARD FOR CONTROL OF REAGENT PUMPING RATES. IT WILL IMPLEMENT EXISTING METHODS OF GENERATING THE CURVE IN A SINGLE INSTRUMENT PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES EXPERIMENTAL CONTROL, DATA ACQUISITION, DATA REDUCTION, REPORTING AND DISPLAY. THE DESIGN WILL BE MADE AND EXECUTED IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH ARMY REPRESENTATIVES TO ASSURE THAT THE FINISHED INSTRUMENT OPTIMALLY FULFILLS THEIR NEEDS. IT WILL BE THE PROTOTYPE FOR SUBSEQUENT MODELS THAT CAN BE MASS PRODUCED BY A COMMERCIAL VENDOR. THIS PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN THE TIMELY PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY TO THE ARMY OF A PROTOTYPE INSTRUMENT THAT OPTIMALLY MEETS THEIR REQUIREMENTS AND WHICH IS QUITE ECONOMICAL.