Henley D E, Leendertz J A, Russell G M, Wood S A, Taheri S, Woltersdorf W W, Lightman S L
Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
J Med Eng Technol. 2009;33(3):199-208. doi: 10.1080/03091900802185970.
Many hormones are released in a pulsatile or burst-like pattern resulting in fluctuating blood levels that can undergo rapid modulation by physiological and pathological signals. To accurately measure these changes in hormone concentration requires frequent blood sampling, often over extended periods as the overall rhythmicity may vary over 24 hours. The aim of this study was to develop a computerized, automated blood sampling system which allows repeated stress-free blood sample collection from humans over an extended period under basal or test conditions. The system incorporates a peristaltic pump, fraction collector and standard infusion pump together with a custom built electronic control unit linked to a personal computer. Disposable tubing prevents cross-contamination between study participants. The computer programme is modifiable to adjust for the number of specimen tubes and volume of blood collected per sampling cycle. Patency of the collecting line is maintained with 0.9% saline, without the need for heparinization. To validate the system, 10-minute samples for cortisol were collected over 24 hours from five healthy volunteers, of whom two had additional concomitant ACTH sampling. Deconvolution analysis revealed an expected number of hormone secretory episodes and a non-pathological degree of orderliness within the data. There was high concordance between ACTH and cortisol secretory events. The ability of the system to allow multiple measurements and of the software program to link with other physiological monitoring equipment provides a powerful tool to study physiologic/pathophysiologic change in relation to blood hormone and other biomarker levels.
许多激素以脉冲式或突发式模式释放，导致血液水平波动，这些波动可通过生理和病理信号进行快速调节。要准确测量激素浓度的这些变化，需要频繁采集血样，通常需要较长时间，因为整体节律性可能在24小时内有所不同。本研究的目的是开发一种计算机化的自动采血系统，该系统能够在基础或测试条件下，长时间从人体重复采集无应激的血样。该系统包括一个蠕动泵、馏分收集器、标准输液泵以及一个与个人计算机相连的定制电子控制单元。一次性管路可防止研究参与者之间的交叉污染。计算机程序可修改，以调整每个采样周期采集的标本管数量和采血量。采集管路通过0.9%的生理盐水保持通畅，无需肝素化。为了验证该系统，在24小时内从5名健康志愿者身上采集了10分钟的皮质醇样本，其中2人还同时采集了促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）样本。去卷积分析揭示了预期数量的激素分泌事件以及数据中正常的有序程度。ACTH和皮质醇分泌事件之间具有高度一致性。该系统进行多次测量的能力以及软件程序与其他生理监测设备连接的能力，为研究与血液激素和其他生物标志物水平相关的生理/病理生理变化提供了一个强大的工具。
