The robustness of a dual-beam, optical null, Fourier-transform near-infrared (FTNIR) spectrometer was investigated by means of online, near-infrared measurements and predictions of urea concentrations in spent dialysate during hemodialysis treatment. Simple multivariate calibration using a few factors based on a small number of prepared samples provided stable and accurate predictions over a period of 1 month. The calibration was robust when faced with adjustment of reference cell intensity and did not require a daily measured reference spectrum. The root-mean-square error of prediction of urea was 0.4 mM based on a two-factor partial least-squares regression model. (C) 2004 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.
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