Determination of cholesterol by a diode laser/fiber optic colorimetric spectrometer

A simple and inexpensive colorimetric spectrometer for determining total ch olesterol has been developed, comprising a diode laser as the light source, optical fibers for the light guide and a photodiode as the detector. The s tability and performance of the new system was investigated by obtaining th e calibration curve for standard cholesterol solutions. The total cholester ol in human serum was also measured by the analyzer and compared with the v alue obtained by a conventional spectrometer. The results showed that the d eveloped spectrometer was useful for the determination of cholesterol level s. The visible diode laser used in the study exhibited good spectroscopic a nd operational properties for colorimetric absorption spectrometry and coul d be a key component for the development of a simple and economical analyze r.