Applications of a Vidicon spectrometer to analytical problems in clinical chemistry.

This report discusses characteristics of a custom-designed vidicon spectrometer and evaluates its applicability to several clinical analysis problems. Data show that the vidicon detector response is linear with intensity over about four orders of magnitude and that the uncertainty in absorbance measurements can approach 0.001 absorbance units in the range from 0 to 2 absorbance units. Applications include the enzymatic determination of glucose, the determination of lactate dehydrogenase, and determinations of barbital, chlordiazepoxide, and glutethimide. Capabilities of the instrument system for first-derivative spectroscopy are also discussed. The discussion included a critical evaluation of the potential advantages and limitations of the concept.