BLOOD GROUPING USING A GALVANIC IMMUNOELECTRODE SENSOR

Traditional blood grouping techniques have been performed using either direct or indirect hemagglutination or adherence methods. Most proced ures are time-consuming to perform, labor intensive and, for the most part, have subjective interpretation. An immunoelectrode system using a pair of electrodes, with either monoclonal antibody or red cell memb rane attached to one of the electrode surfaces, has been developed. Th e fluid (whole blood) to be analyzed is used as an electrical bridge b etween the electrodes. The analysis of the fluid sample for predetermi ned immunological reactions can be evaluated by controlling and measur ing either the current or the voltage across the two electrodes of the pair. Tests using a printed electrical circuit card of pairs of elect rodes (one of the pair coated with a reactant), or a series of electro des (each coated with a different reactant) with one common reference electrode indicate that the test procedure is rapid (less than 60 seco nds) and specific. Tests results read in one hundredth of a second int ervals and read at the millivolt or microvolt levels can be electronic ally scanned, processed through the logic table and immediately interp reted.