The proposed research will develop two prototype analyzers, one of which will be interfaced with a perfusion probe for neurotransmitters, and their metabolites, Surface Enhanced Raman Assay (SERA) using Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering (SERRS). The first prototype will be placed in a translational research setting and used for rodent perfusion studies under real experimental conditions of stress and drug induced changes in neurotransmitter levels. We will cross validate this work with comparisons to conventional HPLC/EC detection measurements. This will provide us with a credible validation and a beginning for FDA approval. The second prototype will be developed for system optimization to evaluate the engineering and assay methodology. The system enhancement will examine factor analysis of such controllable factors as reaction time, sample size, integration time, and chemometric parameters. The samples for this segment of the project will be dialysate mimetics and commercially available human serum. During the course of the project any significant improvements will be shared with the first study group for adoption into their perfusion study. The results of these two parallel studies will be used to position our group to enter into the neurotransmitter monitoring market.
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