Use of an internal sample attenuator in radioimmunoassay. Assay of triiodothyronine (T3) using starch particles containing entrapped charcoal and bismuth oxide in combination with free antibodies.

A radioimmunoassay for triiodothyronine involving no separate washing or separation steps is described. By using an internal sample attenuator, bismuth oxide, co-immobilized with the sorbent, charcoal, for the non-bound fraction of T3, a system was designed in which a suspension of starch spheres containing the sorbent and the attenuator was added after the immunological reaction had taken place. The particles sedimented and the whole test tube was counted in a gamma-counter. The coefficient of correlation between the results obtained with the present method and those from conventional procedures was 0.993.