Low-cost optical detectors and flow systems for protein determination

Two miniature, fibreless, compact and highly integrated flow-through optoelectronic detectors dedicated for photometric and fluorimetric determination of proteins have been developed. Both detectors operating according to paired-emitter-detector-diode methodology are constructed only of light emitting diodes and therefore their total cost is extremely low. The photometric detector is dedicated for protein determination according to Bradford method based on detection of protein adduct with Coomassie Brilliant Blue. The fluorimetric detector allows determination of proteins after reaction with fluorescamine. Both developed detectors have been incorporated into economic flow systems constructed of microsolenoid valves and pumps. The resulting multicommutated/multipumping flow analysis systems enable detection of albumins and globulins at ppm levels, thus they are useful for protein determination in diluted samples of physiological fluids.