Methods and Systems for Determining the Presence or Amount of Testosterone in a Sample
AssigneeLaboratory Corporation of America Holdings
InventorsRussell Philip Grant, Matthew Crawford, Donald Walt Chandler, William Curtin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for the analysis of testosterone in a sample using supported liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Claims25
A method for determining the presence or amount of testosterone in a sample, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a sample containing testosterone;
- (b) partially purifying the sample using supported liquid extraction, thereby providing a partially purified sample comprising testosterone;
- (c) chromatographically separating testosterone from the other components in the partially purified sample using liquid chromatography;
- and
- (d) analyzing the chromatographically separated testosterone by mass spectrometry to determine the presence or amount of testosterone in the sample.
A method for determining the amount of testosterone in a sample, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a sample, the sample comprising a sample that contains testosterone;
- (b) partially purifying the sample using supported liquid extraction, thereby providing a partially purified sample comprising testosterone;
- (c) chromatographically separating testosterone from the other components in the partially purified sample using reverse phase liquid chromatography;
- and
- (d) analyzing the chromatographically separated testosterone by mass spectrometry to determine the amount of testosterone in the sample.
A method of generating a report useful for diagnosing a disease or condition associated with abnormal testosterone levels, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a sample, the sample comprising a sample that contains testosterone;
- (b) partially purifying the sample using supported liquid extraction to provide a partially purified sample comprising testosterone;
- (c) chromatographically separating testosterone from the other components in the partially purified sample using liquid chromatography;
- (d) analyzing the chromatographically separated testosterone by mass spectrometry to determine the amount of testosterone in the sample;
- and
- (e) generating a report that recites the concentration of testosterone in the sample.
A system for determining the presence or amount of testosterone in a sample, the system comprising:
- (a) a station for partially purifying a sample using supported liquid extraction, the sample comprising testosterone;
- (b) a station for chromatographically separating testosterone from the other components in the partially purified sample using liquid chromatography;
- and
- (c) a station for analyzing the chromatographically separated testosterone by mass spectrometry to determine the presence or amount of testosterone in the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.