INTEGRATED COLUMN/MULTISENSOR MICROBORE SYSTEM

THE BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FRIT-TYPE COLORIMETRIC SENSORS MAKE THEM UNIQUELY SUITED FOR HIGH-SENSITIVITY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTION IN MICROBORE SYSTEMS SPECIFICALLY ENGINEERED TO OPTIMIZE THEIR PROPERTIES. THIS RESEARCH IS BASED ON OPTIMIZING A CONCEPTUALLY SIMPLE DESIGN IN WHICH THE FIRST SENSOR IN A MULTIPLE SENSOR ARRAY IS THE RETAINING FRIT OF A MICROBORE COLUMN. PRELIMINARY STUDIES HAVE INDICATED THE DESIRABILITY OF DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT AS AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM-PUMP, COLUMN, SENSOR, AND DETECTOR-TO MINIMIZE BAND SPREADING AND NOISE. SPECIFIC PRIMARY DESIGN GOALS OF 10-FG SENSITIVITY FOR CATECHOLAMINES AND METABOLITES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BASED ON FEASIBILITY AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS STUDIES PROPOSED IN MICRODIALYSIS AND MICROTISSUE ASSAYS. SECONDARY DESIGN GOALS OF OPTIMIZING RESOLUTION BY UTILIZING MULTIPLE SERIES SENSORS ARE ALSO PLANNED. THE PROJECT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MODULAR SERIES OF DEVICES FOR THE RESEARCH MARKET AS EITHER COMPLETE STAND-ALONE PACKAGES OR RETROFITS TO EXISTING PUMPS AND DETECTORS.