Serum sample quality determination

A method for measuring levels of hemoglobin, bilirubin, and triglycerides in a blood serum sample and for determining whether the measured levels exceed pre-established threshold levels for one or more of hemoglobin, bilirubin, and triglycerides, the method comprising:

• fixedly-spacing first ends of a plurality of fiber optic bundles from a light-reflecting mirror surface in light-reflecting confronting relation, wherein the plurality of fiber optic bundles includes a first one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles and a plurality of other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles and wherein each one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles includes the first end and a second end;
• immersing the light-reflecting mirror surface and the first ends of the plurality of fiber optic bundles in the blood serum sample so that a portion of the blood serum sample fills a space between the first ends of the plurality of fiber optic bundles and the light-reflecting mirror surface, the first ends of plurality of fiber optic bundles and the light reflecting mirror surface being configured so that light emitted from the first end of the first one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles passes through at least the portion of the blood serum sample and is reflected from the light-reflecting mirror surface toward the first ends of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles;
• activating a light-emitting source coupled to the second end of the first one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles to cause light to be emitted from the first end of the first one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles;
• and
• receiving at the first end of each of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles, light emitted from the first end of the first one of the plurality of fiber optic bundles and reflected off of the light reflecting mirror surface toward the first ends of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles, so that light received at the first end of each of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles is emitted from the second end of each of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles;
• filtering the light emitted from the second end of each of the other ones of the plurality of fiber optic bundles with a corresponding light filter having a substantially unique discrete wavelength associated with hemoglobin, bilirubin and triglycerides, respectively, to produce filtered light at substantially each of the discrete wavelengths;
• measuring, an intensity of the filtered light at substantially each of the discrete wavelengths;
• comparing the measured intensity of the filtered light at substantially each of the discrete wavelengths to pre-established intensity threshold levels for hemoglobin, bilirubin, and triglycerides respectively;
• and
• providing an indication if the measured intensity of the filtered light at one or more of the substantially discrete wavelengths exceeds the respective pre-established intensity threshold level.