Method and apparatus for blood chemistry analysis

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises the steps of: (1) measuring the concentration of the test solution with a spectrophotometer; (2) storing the measured value; (3) digitizing the measured value with an A/D converter; (4) transmitting the digitized value to a microprocessor; and (5) calculating the amount of analyte by applying the digitized value to a plurality of algorithms.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein steps (1) through (5) are repeated wherein multiple readings are obtained.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein step (2) includes the step of averaging the multiple readings.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein said reagent is selected from the group comprising bromcresol green; p-nitrophenyl phosphate; L-alanine, oxoglutarate; sulfanilic acid, sodium nitrite; arsenazo III; phosphoenol pyruvate; cholesterol oxidase and esterase, peroxidase; deionized water; creatine phosphate, adenosine diphosphate; picric acid, sodium hydroxide; adenosine triphosphate, hexokinase glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase;L-y-glutamyl-3-carboxy-4-nitroanilide;phosphotungstic acid, magnesium chloride; ferrozine, hydroxylamine hydrochloride; lithium lactate, hydroxymethyl-aminomethane; magon sulfonate; ammonium molybate, sulfuric acid; sodium hydroxide, copper sulfate; glycerol kinase, glycerol phosphate, oxidase, peroxidase; urease, oxoglutarate; and uricase, peroxidase, aminoantipyrine.

Claim 7

A chemistry analyzer for analyzing a patient's blood, the blood having a plurality of analytes, each of the analytes having a characteristic electrical charge and being composed of a plurality of identical molecules, each molecule carrying a unit of the charge, the concentration of the analyte being defined by the number of molecules present within a unit volume of the blood, the analyzer comprising: detector means, said detector means comprising a plurality of electrodes, each of said electrodes being mountable on the patient and comprising means for detecting units of at least one characteristic electrical charge and transmitting a signal having a magnitude proportional to the number units of charge detected; isotonic bath means comprising a pair of electrodes defining an anode and a cathode and a first solution composed of water and at least one salt, said electrodes being in electrical communication with said detector means for receiving said signal wherein said signal applies an electrical potential to said electrodes, the electrical potential having a magnitude proportional to said magnitude of said signal, whereby said electrical potential causes said salt to separate into a number of anions and cations thereby defining a second solution, said number of cations and anions being proportional to said magnitude of said electrical potential; means for analyzing a portion of said second solution wherein said analyzer means determines the concentration of the analyte within the patient's blood.

Claim 8

A chemistry analyzer for analyzing a patient's blood, the blood having a plurality of analytes, each of the analytes having a characteristic electrical charge and being composed of a plurality of identical molecules, each molecule carrying a unit of the charge, the concentration of the analyte being defined by the number of molecules present within a unit volume of the blood, the analyzer comprising: detector means, said detector means comprising a plurality of electrodes, each of said electrodes being mountable on the patient and comprising means for detecting units of at least one characteristic electrical charge and transmitting a signal having a magnitude proportional to the number units of charge detected; isotonic bath means comprising a pair of electrodes defining an anode and a cathode and a first solution composed of water and at least one salt, said electrodes being in electrical communication with said detector means for receiving said signal wherein said signal applies an electrical potential to said electrodes, the electrical potential having a magnitude proportional to said magnitude of said signal, whereby said electrical potential causes said salt to separate into a number of anions and cations thereby defining a second solution, said number of cations and anions being proportional to said magnitude of said electrical potential; means for analyzing a portion of said second solution wherein said analyzer means determines the concentration of the analyte within the patient's blood.

Claim 9

The chemistry analyzer of claim 6 wherein said analyzer means comprises a spectrophotometer.

Claim 10

The chemistry analyzer of claim 7 wherein said analyzer means further comprises container means for receiving a reagent and a portion of said second solution, said reagent and said portion defining a third solution, said spectrophotometer comprising measurement means for measuring the optical absorbance of said third solution and signal means for providing a signal proportional to said optical absorbance.

Claim 11

The chemistry analyzer of claim 8 further comprising logic means and memory means coupled to said logic means wherein said memory means contains a plurality of analysis programs, said optical absorbance signal being received by said logic means, said logic means applying a said analysis program to said signal whereby said logic means determines the concentration of the detected analyte.

Claim 12

The chemistry analyzer of claim 9 further comprising display means.

Claim 13

The chemistry analyzer of claim 8 wherein said reagent is selected from the group comprising bromcresol green; p-nitrophenyl phosphate; L-alanine, oxoglutarate; sulfanilic acid, sodium nitrite; arsenazo III; phosphoenol pyruvate; cholesterol oxidase and esterase, peroxidase; deionized water; creatine phosphate, adenosine diphosphate; picric acid, sodium hydroxide; adenosine triphosphate, hexokinase glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; L-y-glutamyl-3-carboxy-4-nitroanilide; phosphotungstic acid, magnesium chloride; ferrozine, hydroxylamine hydrochloride; lithium lactate, hydroxymethylaminomethane; magon sulfonate; ammonium molybate, sulfuric acid; sodium hydroxide, copper sulfate; glycerol kinase, glycerol phosphate, oxidase, peroxidase; urease, oxoglutarate; and uricase, peroxidase, aminoantipyrine.

Claim 14

A chemistry analyzer for analyzing a patient's blood, the blood having a plurality of analytes, each of the analytes having a characteristic electrical charge and being composed of a plurality of identical molecules, each molecule carrying a unit of the charge, the concentration of the analyte being defined by the number of molecules present within a unit volume of the blood, the analyzer comprising: detector means, said detector means comprising a plurality of electrodes, each of said electrodes being mountable on the patient and comprising means for detecting units of at least one characteristic electrical charge and transmitting a signal having a magnitude proportional to the number units of charge detected; isotonic bath means comprising a pair of electrodes defining an anode and a cathode and a first solution composed of water and at least one salt, said electrodes being in electrical communication with said detector means for receiving said signal wherein said signal applies an electrical potential to said electrodes, the electrical potential having a magnitude proportional to said magnitude of said signal, whereby said electrical potential causes said salt to separate into a number of anions and cations thereby defining a second solution, said number of cations and anions being proportional to said magnitude of said electrical potential; means for analyzing a portion of said second solution wherein said analyzer means determines the concentration of the analyte within the patient's blood, said analyzer means comprising a spectrophotometer having container means for receiving a reagent and a portion of said second solution, said reagent and said portion defining a third solution, said spectrophotometer comprising measurement means for measuring the optical absorbance of said third solution and signal means for providing a signal proportional to said optical absorbance.

Claim 15

A chemistry analyzer for analyzing a patient's blood, the blood having a plurality of analytes, each of the analytes having a characteristic electrical charge and being composed of a plurality of identical molecules, each molecule carrying a unit of the charge, the concentration of the analyte being defined by the number of molecules present within a unit volume of the blood, the analyzer comprising: detector means, said detector means comprising a plurality of electrodes, each of said electrodes being mountable on the patient and comprising means for detecting units of at least one characteristic electrical charge and transmitting a signal having a magnitude proportional to the number units of charge detected; isotonic bath means comprising a pair of electrodes defining an anode and a cathode and a first solution composed of water and at least one salt, said electrodes being in electrical communication with said detector means for receiving said signal wherein said signal applies an electrical potential to said electrodes, the electrical potential having a magnitude proportional to said magnitude of said signal, whereby said electrical potential causes said salt to separate into a number of anions and cations thereby defining a second solution, said number of cations and anions being proportional to said magnitude of said electrical potential; means for analyzing a portion of said second solution wherein said analyzer means determines the concentration of the analyte within the patient's blood, said analyzer means comprising a spectrophotometer having container means for receiving a reagent and a portion of said second solution, said reagent and said portion defining a third solution, said spectrophotometer comprising measurement means for measuring the optical absorbance of said third solution and signal means for providing a signal proportional to said optical absorbance.

Claim 16

The chemistry analyzer of claim 12 further comprising logic means, memory means coupled to said logic means and display means wherein said memory means contains a plurality of analysis programs, said optical absorbance signal being received by said logic means, said logic means applying a said analysis program to said signal whereby said logic means determines and displays the concentration of the detected analyte.

Claim 17

The chemistry analyzer of claim 13 wherein said reagent is selected from the group comprising bromcresol green; p-nitrophenyl phosphate; L-alanine, oxoglutarate; sulfanilic acid, sodium nitrite; arsenazo III; phosphoenol pyruvate; cholesterol oxidase and esterase, peroxidase; deionized water; creatine phosphate, adenosine diphosphate; picric acid, sodium hydroxide; adenosine triphosphate, hexokinase glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; L-y-glutamyl-3-carboxy-4-nitroanilide; phosphotungstic acid, magnesium chloride; ferrozine, hydroxylamine hydrocthloride; lithium lactate, hydroxymethylaminomethane; magon sulfonate; ammonium molybate, sulfuric acid; sodium hydroxide, copper sulfate; glycerol kinase, glycerol phosphate, oxidase, peroxidase; urease, oxoglutarate; and uricase, peroxidase, aminoantipyrine.