During Phase I, Innovation associates demonstrated the feasibility of developing a fiber optic sensor for measuring lead at levels of interest to blood screening clinics. The Lead Ion Selective Fiber Optrode (LISFO) operates in the linear portion of the response curve between 2-200 microg/dL (the new CDC level of concern). Use of fiber optic technology will provide a rugged, compact portable instrument and allow low cost screenings of blood lead concentrations to be performed. During Phase II, conditions will be optimized to insure inter-fiber reproducibility, sample preparation methods will be optimized and automated, and a pre- prototype will be constructed and validated by parallel measurements on clinical samples comparing LISFO with AAS. The instrument will interface with a PC which will regulate automatic operations and process and report data so that minimally trained operators can achieve reliable results with little opportunity for sample contamination. A user interface will permit entry of patient information.
Since the CDC lowered the level of concern for lead in blood to 10 microg/dL, the instruments which have previously been used in lead screening clinics no longer give accurate reading at the level of concern. Consequently, there is a need for a new instrument which is usable by personnel with limited training and which can provide large scale, low cost testing of blood lead levels. The proposed instrument will meet the requirements of lead screening clinics and will find acceptance in that market.
