Influence of urea on the glucose measurement by electrocatalytic sensor in the extracorporeal blood circulation of a sheep.

In an animal experiment with the electrocatalytic glucose sensor, measurements were carried out over one week in the extracorporeal circulation of a sheep. Glucose tolerance tests were performed, and the influence of increased urea concentrations in the blood on the glucose determination was investigated. The sensor constructed as a flow-through cell was integrated via a vascular graft outside the body into the carotid artery of the animal and activated by an external electronic unit of measurement. The glucose concentration was determined by measuring the impedance of the electrode/membrane system at various potentials. By means of a subsequent correlation analysis of the measured values obtained over one week, a calibration valid for the entire measurement period was established. After a zero adjustment, it was even possible to adopt the calibration from the glucose measurement of the preceding animal experiment. The investigations of the influence of urea on the glucose measurement showed that the error in measurement of the sensor, which is 20% on average, is only insignificantly increased when the urea level is raised beyond the maximum physiological concentration.