| Miniaturization of clinical chemistry analyzers will help transform clinical chemical testing from central laboratories to direct point-of-care using clinical chemistry 'chips' which measure a small array of analytes, are small, portable, fast, easy-to-operate, and inexpensive. This dissertation is focused on developing an information processing unit "InfoWare" for a clinical chemistry chip, in general, and a diabetes chip, in particular (discussed in Chapter 1).; The analytical method chosen uses "bioluminescence," which is highly sensitive and specific, and is based on photon counting and specific enzymatic reactions. In addition, bioluminescent reactions were intentionally chosen for analyzing metabolic reactions due to them utilizing some of the central nodes of metabolism, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and reduced nicotineamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and its phosphorylated form (NADPH). Metabolic and bioluminescent reactions constitute the topic of Chapter 2.; InfoWare design involves: (1) Metabolic reactions "MetaWare". Metabolic reactions specific to diabetes (glucose, glycerine, pyruvate, and arginine) are coupled to one of the known bioluminescent reactions. Specifically, we coupled the firefly (FFL) bioluminescent reaction to kinase-utilized reactions specific to the four metabolites via the central node of metabolism ATP (discussed in Chapter 3). (2) Chemical assay simulation, optimization, calibration; and multiparametric data analysis "DataWare" (presented in Chapter 4); and (3) Data visualization (VisWare). Data visualization via simple diagnostic patterns for easing data interpretation, and disease diagnosis and management is discussed in Chapter 5. Also, we have developed a data visualization software program "MACROPatterns" standing for MultiAnalytical Chemistry-Recognizer of Optical Patterns. MACROPatterns development, use, and applications are demonstrated in Chapter 5 as well.; Implementation of the InfoWare has shown the capability of the clinical chemistry chip in meeting the requirements of point-of-care testing. Future work needed to bring this concept and project to application is discussed in Chapter 6. |
