Patent ID: 8388930

Claim:
A method of measuring calcium metabolism in a patient and obtaining information useful for determining the effect of drugs in the patient, comprising the steps of: administering radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca to the patient, allowing a period of time to elapse sufficient for dissemination and reaction of said radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca by the patient, obtaining a sample of said radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca from the patient, isolating the calcium content of said sample in a form suitable for precise measurement of isotopic calcium concentrations, measuring said isotopic calcium concentrations of said calcium thereby producing measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism, wherein said step of measuring said isotopic calcium concentrations to determine parameters of calcium metabolism in the patient comprises using decay counting to measure said radioactive calcium isotope 41 Ca to determine parameters of calcium metabolism in the patient, and obtaining the information useful for determining the effect of drugs in the patient by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard, wherein said step of obtaining the information useful for determining the effect of drugs in the patient by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard includes obtaining the information useful for determining the effect of drugs in the patient by comparing said measurements of parameters of calcium metabolism to a standard of parameters of calcium metabolism for average patients administered said drugs.