EXHIBIT 5.1

                                {TBC Letterhead}


                                                  January 29, 2002



American Bio Medica Corporation
122 Smith Road
Kinderhook, New York 12106


         Re: Form S-3 Registration Statement


Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel for American Bio Medica Corporation (the
"Company") in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Securities Act") of (a) 4,227,420 common shares ("Shares"), par
value $0.01 per share, of the Company, of which 2,549,000 are common shares of
ABMC and 1,678,420 are common shares issuable upon the exercise of common share
purchase warrants ("Shares") and (b) up to 1,274,500 common share purchase
warrants ("Warrants").

         We have reviewed the corporate proceedings with respect to the
authorization of the issuance of the Shares and the Warrants. We have also
reviewed such questions of law, as we have deemed necessary and appropriate for
the purposes of rendering the opinion set forth below. In rendering our opinion,
we have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to us, the
genuineness of all signatures and the conformity to authentic originals of all
documents submitted to us as copies. We have also assumed the legal capacity for
all purposes relevant hereto of all natural person and with respect to all
parties to agreements or instruments relevant hereto other than Company, that
such parties had the requisite power and authority (corporate or otherwise), to
execute and deliver such agreements or instruments and that such agreements or
instruments are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of such parties.

         Based on the foregoing, it is our opinion that the Shares, including
the common shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants, and Warrants, when
sold in the manner described in the Registration Statement, will be legally
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         Our opinion expressed above is limited solely to the Business
Corporation Law and Constitution of the State of New York ("BCL"), and the
federal laws of the United States of America, in each case to the extent that
the same may apply to or govern such opinion, and we express no opinion as to
the laws of any other jurisdiction.

         We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to being named as an expert in the Prospectus filed
as part of the Registration Statement.

                                          Very truly yours,

                                          Tuczinski, Burstein & Collura, P.C.

                                          By: /s/ Richard L. Burstein
                                             ------------------------
                                                  Richard L. Burstein