Clinical Chemistry, Vol 13, 451-467, Copyright © 1967 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Kinetic Parameters of Continuous Flow Analysis

¹ Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N. C. 27706.
² Clinical Laboratories, St. Louis, Mo.
³ Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N. C. 27706.

Unlike systems of batch analysis, continuous flow systems possess kinetic parameters. Associated with the steady state are such measurements as noise level and drift. This study reports on kinetic parameters associated with the transient state between the steady states including time required to change from base-line steady state to sample steady state and vice versa, characteristics of this change, time interval between samples, proportionality of sampling and washing time, fraction of steady state reached in any given sampling time, and interaction between samples. The transition between steady states has been found to obey first order kinetics to a good first approximation. This observation enables correlation of all of the above listed properties in quantitative fashion using new characteristic constants for continuous flow-the half-wash time (W_1/2) and the lag phase time (L). These parameters, well known in other contexts such as radioactivity, can be employed as "figures of merit" for any continuous flow system or component, can be utilized to calculate performance characteristics, and are useful in evaluating and optimizing over-all performance.