Paul A Fielder

US Patent:

54609690, Oct 24, 1995

Filed:

Mar 15, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/031544

Inventors:

Paul N. Fielder - New Haven CT
Robert A. Levine - Guilford CT
Stephen C. Wardlaw - Branford CT

International Classification:

G01N 3372

US Classification:

436 66

Abstract:

The presence of fecal occult blood in a stool sample is detected by mixing a liquid stool sample with an acidic liquid, such as a phosphate/citrate buffer, to precipitate hematin from the solution. The precipitated hematin is separated and the presence or absence of hemoglobin is determined by exposing the solution to a peroxidase diagnostic assay. A positive response indicates the presence of blood originating in the lower gastrointestinal tract, a leading indicator of lower GI cancer.