Methods and compositions for multivalent binding and methods for manufacture of rapid diagnostic tests

A test kit for quantitation of one or more antibody or antigen in a sample comprising:

• (A) a substrate or solid support which is a wickable medium suitable for the reception and transport of said sample and which is selected from glass, nylon, paper, nitrocellulose, and plastic;
• (B) a scaffold or polymer having a repeating unit, which scaffold or polymer is bound covalently or non covalently to the substrate or support of (A) and which is selected from nucleic acid, peptide, carbohydrate, and protein;
• (C) a first capture reagent capable of binding directly or indirectly with the antibody or antigen in the sample, which first reagent is affixed to or interspersed with the scaffold or polymer of (B) and which is selected from antibody, antigen, peptide, nucleic acid, protein, ligand, carbohydrate, and organic compound;
• (D) optionally a second capture reagent or binder, capable of binding (i) to both said first capture reagent and to an antibody or antigen in the sample or (ii) to a second antibody or antigen in the sample, which second reagent is affixed to or interspersed with the scaffold of (B) or which binds covalently or non covalently to the first capture reagent of (C);
• (E) an indicator means which indicates that the sample has been transported along the substrate or support and confirms that the reagents are operable, wherein the indicator is a predetermined amount of analyte;
• and
• (F) a detector for quantifiable detection of antibody or antigen in the sample which detector is selected from a label, radioactive element, enzyme, or dye.

A method for the manufacture of an analyte capture strip to be used for capture of at least one analyte in a sample, which strip comprises

• (A) a substrate or solid support which is a wickable medium suitable for the reception and transport of said sample, wherein the substrate is a printable medium;
• (B) a scaffold or polymer having a repeating unit, which scaffold or polymer is bound covalently or non covalently to the substrate or support of (A);
• (C) a first capture reagent capable of binding directly or indirectly with analyte in the sample, which first reagent is affixed to or interspersed with the scaffold or polymer of (B);
• (G) optionally a second capture reagent or binder, capable of binding (i) to both said first capture reagent and to an analyte in the sample or (ii) to a second analyte in the sample, which second reagent is affixed to or interspersed with the scaffold of (B) or which binds covalently or non covalently to the first capture reagent of (C);
• (H) an indicator means which indicates that the sample has been transported along the substrate or support and confirms that the analyte of interest has been captured;
• comprising selecting a liquid deposition device and depositing each or any of the scaffold, first capture reagent, second capture reagent, and indicator with said liquid deposition device in a regular and predetermined pattern.