DRY REAGENT TITRATORS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD ANALYTES

A RAPID AND CONVENIENT TEST FOR BLOOD SERUM ANALYTES IS PROPOSED. THE TEST IS QUANTITATIVE, BUT DOES NOT REQUIRE AN INSTRUMENT. IT IS IDEALLY SUITED FOR ON-SITE USE BY NON-TECHNICAL PERSONNEL. THE TEST DEVICE CONSISTS OF A CHEMICALLY IMPREGNATED PAPER STRIP LAMINATED BETWEEN TWO PLASTIC SHEETS. ONE SHEET IS CLEAR WITH AN OVERPRINTED, GRADUATED SCALE; THE OTHER IS A WHAT OPAQUE PLASTIC WHICH PROVIDES A NEUTRAL BACKGROUND. THE DEVICE IS OPEN AT THE BOTTOM, EXPOSING THE EDGE OF THE REAGENT STRIP, AND VENTED NEAR THE TOP. IN USE, THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE DEVICE IS EXPOSED TO SAMPLE. AS SAMPLE IS DRAWN THROUGH THE STRIP BY CAPILLARY ACTION, ANALYTE REACTS WITH CHEMICAL REAGENTS IN THE STRIP PRODUCING A VISUAL COLUMN OF COLORED, INSOLUBLE REACTION PRODUCT. THE LENGTH OF THE COLUMN, DETERMINED BY THE GRADUATED SCALE, IS PROPORTIONAL TO ANALYTE CONCENTRATION. A CONVERSION TABLE, CONSTRUCTED BY THE MANUFACTURER FROM STANDARDS, IS USED TO RELATE SCALE UNITS TO CLINICALLY MEANINGFUL CONCENTRATION UNITS.