DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the applicant's abstract) The proposed research will assess and demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a dry format device for obtaining a plasma sample bearing only high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from a whole blood specimen. The long-term objective of this research is the construction of a noninstrumented diagnostic device for the quantitative determination of HDL cholesterol from a peripheral blood sample, for use in the physician s office. The availability of such a device will foster assessment and monitoring of the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) due to HDL cholesterol status.A readily available means for convenient, accurate, precise, and inexpensive measurement of HDL cholesterol will have a significant, beneficial impact on the management of CHD and represents a major market for medical diagnostics.