Exhibit 10.42

THE  SECURITIES,  IN  THE FORM OF THE PROMISSORY NOTE OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS,
INC., HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR
UNDER ANY STATE SECURITIES  LAWS.  SUCH SECURITIES CANNOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED,
ASSIGNED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED, EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT OF
1933, AS AMENDED, AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

                                PROMISSORY NOTE

                                                              Chicago, Illinois
                                                                  July 30, 2002

      FOR VALUE RECEIVED, MOLECULAR  DIAGNOSTICS,  INC, a Delaware corporation,
414  North  Orleans  Street,  Suite  510,  Chicago,  Illinois  60610,  and  its
successors  and  assigns,  (the  "Company") promises to pay  to  the  order  of
("Holder"), at , or at such other  place  as  Holder  may  from  time  to  time
designate  in writing, the principal sum of  Dollars ($) in lawful money of the
United States  of America, together with interest on so much thereof as is from
time to time outstanding  at  the  rate  hereinafter  provided,  and payable as
hereinafter  provided.   This  Note is one of a series of Notes containing  the
same terms as this Note.

   1. Interest Rate.  The unpaid  principal  balance  of  this  Note shall bear
      interest  at  the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum, simple  interest.
      Interest shall  be  paid in cash or the Company's common stock, par value
      $0.001 per share at the option of the holder at the Maturity of the Note.

   2. Payment/Maturity Date.   The  total outstanding principal balance hereof,
      together with accrued and unpaid  interest,  shall  be due and payable on
      July 30, 2002.

   3. Conversion.  The Notes will be convertible as follows: (a) at any time at
      the option of holder; (b) automatically when the Company  receives equity
      infusion of at least $7 million (including from conversion  of the Notes)
      prior to the due date of the Notes.  The Notes are convertible  into: one
      share  of the Company's common stock at 25% discount to the market  price
      at the time  of  conversion  (not less than $.50 and not more than $1.00)
      and Private Warrants.  For each  four  shares  of common stock into which
      the  Notes  convert,  the holder will receive one Private  Warrant.   The
      Private Warrants will be  exercisable into one share of common stock at a
      price that is 150% of the conversion price of the Notes.

   4. Default  Interest and Attorney  Fees.   Upon  declaration  of  a  default
      hereunder,  the  balance  of  the  principal  remaining  unpaid, interest
      accrued thereon, and all other costs, and fees shall bear interest at the
      rate of eighteen percent (18%) per annum from the date of default, or the
      date of advance, as applicable.  In the event of default, the Company and
      all  other  parties  liable hereon agree to pay all costs of  collection,
      including reasonable attorneys' fees.

   5. Interest Calculation.   Daily  interest  shall be calculated on a 365-day
      year and the actual number of days in each month.

   6. Prepayment.  This Note may be prepaid in whole or in part.

   7. Costs of Collection.  Company agrees that  if, and as often as, this Note
      is  placed in the hands of an attorney for collection  or  to  defend  or
      enforce any of Holder's rights hereunder or under any instrument securing
      payment  of  this  Note,  Company  shall  pay  to  Holder  its reasonable
      attorneys'  fees  and  all  court  costs  and other expenses incurred  in
      connection therewith, regardless of whether  a  lawsuit is ever commenced
      or  whether, if commenced, the same proceeds to judgment  or  not.   Such
      costs   and  expenses  shall  include,  without  limitation,  all  costs,
      reasonable attorneys' fees, and expenses incurred by Holder in connection
      with any  insolvency,  bankruptcy,  reorganization,  foreclosure, deed in
      lieu  of  foreclosure  or  similar proceedings involving Company  or  any
      endorser, surety, guarantor,  or  other person liable for this Note which
      in any way affect the exercise by Holder of its rights and remedies under
      this Note, or any other document or  instrument  securing, evidencing, or
      relating to the indebtedness evidenced by this Note.

   8. Default.  At the option of Holder, the unpaid principal  balance  of this
      Note  and  all  accrued  interest  thereon  shall become immediately due,
      payable, and collectible, with written notice  of default and demand, and
      with five days notice to cure any default, upon  the  occurrence  at  any
      time  of any of the following events, each of which shall be deemed to be
      an event of default hereunder:

      a.    Company's  failure  to  make any payment of principal, interest, or
            other charges on or before  the  date on which such payment becomes
            due and payable under this Note.

      b.    Company's  breach  or  violation  of  any   agreement  or  covenant
            contained  in  this  Note, or in any other document  or  instrument
            securing, evidencing,  or relating to the indebtedness evidenced by
            this Note.

      c.    Dissolution, liquidation or termination of Company.

   9. Application  of Payments.  Any  payment  made  against  the  indebtedness
      evidenced by this  Note  shall  be applied against the following items in
      the  following  order:   (1) costs of  collection,  including  reasonable
      attorney's  fees  incurred or  paid  and  all  costs,  expenses,  default
      interest,  late  charges  and  other  expenses  incurred  by  Holder  and
      reimbursable to Holder  pursuant  to this Note (as described herein); (2)
      default  interest  accrued to the date  of  said  payment;  (3)  ordinary
      interest  accrued  to   the  date  of  said  payment;  and  (4)  finally,
      outstanding principal.

   10.Assignment and Transferability  of Note.  Company may assign this Note to
      any  entity  that acquires Company  or  substantially  all  of  Company's
      assets.  Holder  may  not  transfer  the  Note  in any manner without the
      written agreement of the Company.

   11.Non-Waiver.  No delay or omission on the part of Holder in exercising any
      rights or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver  of  such  right  or
      remedy  or of any other right or remedy under this Note.  A waiver on any
      one or more  occasion shall not be construed as a bar to or waiver of any
      such right and/or remedy on any future occasion.

   12.Maximum Interest.   In  no  event  whatsoever  shall  the amount paid, or
      agreed to be paid, to Holder for the use, forbearance,  or  retention  of
      the  money  to be loaned hereunder ("Interest") exceed the maximum amount
      permissible under  applicable  law.  If the performance or fulfillment of
      any provision hereof, or any agreement  between  Company and Holder shall
      result in Interest exceeding the limit for Interest  prescribed  by  law,
      then  the  amount  of  such Interest shall be reduced to such limit.  If,
      from any circumstance whatsoever,  Holder  should  receive as Interest an
      amount that would exceed the highest lawful rate, the  amount  that would
      be  excessive Interest shall be applied to the reduction of the principal
      balance  owing  hereunder  (or,  at the option of Holder, be paid over to
      Company) and not to the payment of Interest.

   13.Purpose of Loan.  Company certifies  that the loan evidenced by this Note
      is obtained for business or commercial  purposes  and  that  the proceeds
      thereof  will  not be used primarily for personal, family, household,  or
      agricultural purposes.

   14.Governing Law.   As  an  additional  consideration  for  the extension of
      credit,  Company  and  each  endorser, surety, guarantor, and  any  other
      person who may become liable for  all  or  any  part  of  this obligation
      understand and agree that the loan evidenced by this Note is  made in the
      State  of  Illinois  and  the  provisions  hereof  will  be  construed in
      accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  State of Illinois, and such parties
      further agree that in the event of default  this  Note may be enforced in
      any court of competent jurisdiction in the State of Illinois, and they do
      hereby  submit  to  the  jurisdiction of such court regardless  of  their
      residence or where this Note  was  executed or any endorsement hereof may
      be executed.

   15.Arbitration.  If at any time during  the  term  of this Note any dispute,
      difference, or disagreement shall arise upon or in  respect  of the Note,
      and  the meaning and construction hereof, every such dispute, difference,
      and disagreement shall be referred to a single arbiter agreed upon by the
      parties,  or  if  no  single  arbiter  can  be agreed upon, an arbiter or
      arbiters shall be selected in accordance with  the  rules of the American
      Arbitration  Association  and such dispute, difference,  or  disagreement
      shall be settled by arbitration  in  accordance  with the then prevailing
      commercial  rules of the American Arbitration Association,  and  judgment
      upon the award rendered by the arbiter may be entered in any court having
      jurisdiction thereof.

   16.Binding Effect.   The  term  "Company"  as  used herein shall include the
      original Company of this Note and any party who  may  subsequently become
      liable  for  the  payment  hereof as an assumer with the consent  of  the
      Holder, provided that Holder  may,  at  its option, consider the original
      Company  of this Note alone as Company unless  Holder  has  consented  in
      writing to  the  substitution  of  another  party  as  Company.  The term
      "Holder"  as  used  herein  shall  mean  Holder  or,  if  this  Note   is
      transferred, the then Holder of this Note.

   17.Relationship  of  Parties.   Nothing  herein contained shall create or be
      deemed  or  construed to create a joint venture  or  partnership  between
      Company and Holder.  Holder is acting hereunder as a lender only.

   18.Severability.   Invalidation  of any of the provisions of this Note or of
      any  paragraph,  sentence,  clause,   phrase,  or  word  herein,  or  the
      application  thereof  in any given circumstance,  shall  not  affect  the
      validity of the remainder of this Note.

   19.Amendment.  This Note may  not  be  amended, modified, or changed, except
      only by an instrument in writing signed by both of the parties.

   20.Time of the Essence.  Time is of the  essence for the performance of each
      and every obligation of Company hereunder.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Note as of July 30,
2002.

                                           MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS, INC.
                                           A Delaware corporation



                                           By: _______________________________
                                                 Peter P. Gombrich
                                                 Chief Executive Officer