Working together, Helen M. Free and Alfred Free invented the urine dipstick-- a simple, economical way to test for glucose in the urine of diabetic patients. A tablet called Clinitest had been developed by Miles Laboratories before the Frees became involved in the project. One of these tablets would be dropped into a test tube containing a urine sample, and the presence of glucose would be indicated by a color change in the liquid. The Frees experimented with the tablets, refining their chemical content. Inspired by the success of this process, they decided to apply it to other diseases. Since Hepatitis A was a major health problem, they made a tablet that could detect bilirubin in urine, thus signaling the presence of Hepatitis A. However, the Frees were determined to work out a simpler process, one that would not involve test tubes. They decided to drop the urine onto a small mat made from a material that would absorb the urine, leaving the bilirubin on the surface. The tablet was then dropped onto that mat. If Hepatitis A was present, a colorful ring would appear on the mat.

According to Helen Free, it was this use of the mat in the Ictotest process that prompted her husband to think of an improvement on Clinitest. If a piece of paper could be impregnated with the same chemicals that the tablet contained, then one could simply drop urine onto the paper and observe the results. It then occurred to the Frees that the paper could be cut into strips, so that instead of using a dropper, one could simply dip a test strip into the urine.

Along with the test strips, there would be detailed instructions specifying the length of time that the strip should remain immersed in the urine, as well as a color chart that would enable doctors, hospitals, and the patients themselves to obtain the results of the tests immediately. This new product for the testing of urine glucose, which was given the name Clinistix, went on the market in 1956. Next, the Frees looked for a way to combine several tests on a single strip by using a barrier between the various reagents. In 1981, they introduced Multistix, which had ten different urinalysis tests on a single strip. The Frees' invention revolutionized the treatment of diabetes by making it possible for tests to be conducted outside the laboratory. It was recognized almost immediately that self-testing kits were convenient as well as inexpensive for use by doctors and by hospitals. It soon became evident that patients could do their own testing. The fact that Clinistix proved to be so reliable made self-testing an acceptable practice. As a result, self-tests were developed in a great many different areas. Among the most common self-tests are those that determine ovulation or pregnancy and those that use stool samples to screen for colorectal cancer.

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