Abstract: A quantitative assay for creatinine has been developed in which creatinine is reacted with 3,5-dinitrobenzoate under alkaline reaction conditions to produce a fluorophore product which has excitation and emission maxima near 410 nm and 475 nm, respectively. Alternatively, 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl chloride or methyl-3,5-dinitrobenzoate may be employed as reagents. The chemical reactions proceed in the presence of Group IA bases and/or quaternary alkyl ammonium hydroxides under aqueous, nonaqueous and mixed solvent conditions. Detection limits for creatinine are well below one micromole per liter. Conversely, the reactivity of creatinine and/or base with 3,5-dinitrobenzoate may be employed to quantify 3,5-dinitrobenzoate by fluorescence intensity measurements. The chemical assay is readily adaptable to reagent pad and dry-layered coating technologies employing fluorescence detection/quantitation.

Abstract: A nonsurgically implanted gastrointestinal module is described. The module consists of an ellipsoidal or spherical collapsible gastric anchor, a tether device, and an intestinal payload module. The device is inserted into the stomach via a gastric intubation technique. The gastric anchor unfolds within the gastric cavity and lodges itself prior to the sphincter. The smaller intestinal module passes through the sphincter and unfolds within the confines of the intestine. The intestinal module is held in place via a tether which binds the gastric anchor to the intestinal payload module. The intestinal module may contain slow release medicaments, bound enzymes, cofactors, buffers, microorganisms and the like. Thus biochemical processes of the intestine may be modified, and these in turn may affect other body compartments. The gastrointestinal module may be removed with a retrieval hook via a gastric intubation technique.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the measurement of acid and alkaline phosphatase activity, whereby an aromatic phosphate ester substrate containing a nitro group is reacted with acid or alkaline phosphatase under appropriate reaction conditions and the hydrolytic process is monitored at electrodes which measure the current produced by the reduction of the nitro groups of the product and/or substrate. Alternatively, an aromatic phosphate ester substrate containing an amino group is reacted with acid or alkaline phosphatase under appropriate reaction conditions with the hydrolytic process being monitored at solid electrodes which measure the current produced by the oxidation of the amino groups of the product and/or substrate.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for determining glucose whereby glucose is reacted with an aromatic reagent containing one or more nitro groups and the reaction is monitored at electrodes which measure the current produced by the reduction of one or more of the nitro groups.