Inventors:
Steven R. Arbuckle - Indianapolis IN
William R. Boyd - Indianapolis IN
Michael E. Grant - Sand Point ID
Mark A. Gregory - Carmel IN
Russell T. Gray - Brownsburg IN
Friedrich Jost - Weilhein-Marnbach, DE
Daniel L. Kennedy - Indianapolis IN
Dino Perin - New Palestine IN
Richard Riedel - Carmel IN
David E. Storvick - Greenwood IN
John W. Stoughton - Indianapolis IN
Assignee:
Boehringer Mannheim Corporation - Indianapolis IN
International Classification:
G01N 3100
G01N 2100
Abstract:
A method and apparatus (10) for determining the remission of a chemistry (106) which reacts with a medically significant component of a body fluid. The remission of the chemistry (106) changes as it reacts. The method and apparatus (10) include irradiating the chemistry (106) with a radiation source (182), detecting remissions of radiation from the chemistry (106) with a radiation detector (300), providing a radiation pathway (164) between the source (182) and the chemistry (106), providing a remission pathway (164) between the chemistry (106) and the detector (300), and detecting the rate of change of remission of the chemistry (106) with respect to time. The irradiating, detecting and rate detecting steps and apparatus comprise initially irradiating the chemistry (106) at a first time rate and detecting remissions therefrom, comparing remission data from remission readings spaced apart by a first number of intervening remission readings, and determining when the difference between compared readings exceeds a first predetermined limit. The time rate of irradiation of the chemistry is changed once the difference between compared readings exceeds the first limit. Remission data from remission readings spaced apart by a second number of intervening remission readings are then compared.