Rapid Analysis of Whole Blood and Blood Serum Using near Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

In the present study we describe the relationship between laboratory values obtained with routinely used laboratory analytical methods and near infrared (NIR) spectral data of 126 whole blood and 228 blood serum samples. Spectra were measured with a SPECTRALYZER 1025 (PMC) computerised research analyser. The relationship among laboratory data and values of the second derivative of the log (1/ R) spectra measured at different wavelengths was determined by multiple linear regression (MLR) using three and four term linear summation equations, principal component regression (PCR) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression methods. Along with examples for qualitative detection of protein and lipid in human sera, as well as distinction of albumin and globulin dissolved in physiological saline solution, we describe mathematical models and evaluate their performance for the determination of protein and beta-lipoprotein (β-LP) content of serum as well as oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide pressure in whole blood. Validation of our results yielded a standard error of performance (SEP) of 2.47 g L−1 for protein content and 0.79 TU for β-LP content in blood serum, whereas SEP values of 5.41% for oxygen saturation and 5.27 mm Hg for carbon dioxide pressure in whole blood were found. Our results presented in this preliminary study indicate that NIR measurements can be related to analytical data of whole blood and serum. NIR spectroscopy is a rapid, accurate, cost effective method for determining quality parameters of whole blood and serum and might be a promising new tool in the field of automated clinical laboratory analysis.