Chromogenic test kit for detecting health conditions in saliva
OwnerMorgan C. Burns, Christopher Burnsinventors
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Abstract
A device and method for detecting diseases, disorders and health conditions in saliva or other body fluid. The method employs solid phase immunoassay and similar detecting processes along with one of several bioluminescent reactions such that the presence of specific biomarkers is reported visually on a chromogenic panel incorporated directly into the test kit. The device does not require electricity or refrigeration, and results in a small, sealed diagnostic packet that can be safely discarded or stored as necessary.
Claims18
A device for analyzing saliva and other body fluids in order to detect the presence of diseases, disorders and other specific health conditions, comprising:
- (a) a container designed and constructed of a material suitable to support, hold and preserve a reservoir, an analytic sponge, and a chromogenic panel,
- (b) said reservoir for collecting fluid, large enough to hold said analytic sponge as well as a sample of body fluid sufficient to complete successfully the detecting chemistry,
- (c) said analytic sponge made of absorbent beads or material and containing one of a plurality of said detecting chemistries designed to react with specific biomarkers in such a way as to cause a visible change in said chromogenic panel, and
- (d) said chromogenic panel which changes visibly as a result of the analytic process,
- whereby the presence of said disease, disorder or specific health condition can be quickly determined by visual inspection of said chromogenic panel.
Said container is so constructed that said body fluid, said analytic sponge, and said chromogenic panel become sealed together on completion of the test in a partially transparent packet, whereby the sample of body fluid being tested may not thereafter leak or become contaminated as a result of normal handling and storage.
A method for detecting the presence of specific diseases, disorders and health conditions from a sample of saliva or other body fluid, wherein:
- (a) a reservoir collects a sufficient sample of said saliva or fluid,
- (b) an analytic sponge imbued with a detecting chemistry specific to a particular disease, disorder or health condition is immersed in said fluid,
- (c) said detecting chemistry reacts with the biomarkers in said fluid which are indicative of the disease, disorder or health condition which said test kit is configured to detect,
- (d) said detecting chemistry changes as a result of contact with said biomarkers, and in turn causes a reaction in reporting molecules in the chromogenic panel,
- (e) said reporting molecules change the appearance of said chromogenic panel, and
- (f) the pattern and intensity of color appearing on said chromogenic panel indicates the presence, absence or density of said biomarkers specific to the disease, disorder or health condition for which said test kit is configured.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.