# US 2020/0400628 A1 · Recognition kits and methods for harmful heavy metals

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- Number: US 2020/0400628 A1
- Document ID: US20200400628A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/891,409
- Filed: 2020-06-03
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20
- Assignees: Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology
- Applicants: Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology
- Inventors: Kyoungrean KIM; Aleum LEE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200400628A1

## CPC

- G01N 31/22: using chemical indicators (G01N31/02 takes precedence)
- G01N 21/255: {Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems}
- G01N 21/78: producing a change of colour
- G01N 21/94: Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence)
- G01N 33/84: involving inorganic compounds or pH
- G01N 33/92: involving lipids, e.g. cholesterol {, lipoproteins, or their receptors (steroid hormones G01N33/743)}
- G01N 21/8803: {Visual inspection (measuring projectors G01B9/08)}
- G01N 2405/00: Assays, e.g. immunoassays or enzyme assays, involving lipids
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a kit and method for testing harmful heavy metals onsite, which can determine the presence or absence of harmful heavy metals and the degree of contamination with harmful heavy metals dissolved in water or contained in sediment, soil, deep-sea mining tailings and the like. The kit includes a receiving member and a diagnostic solution containing a biosurfactant, which is accommodated in the receiving member and undergoes an ion exchange reaction with a liquid including harmful heavy metals or a solid sample from which harmful heavy metals are leached in a liquid phase.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A recognition kit for recognizing a harmful heavy metal, comprising:
a receiving member;
a diagnostic solution containing at least one biosurfactant, which is accommodated in the receiving member and a color of which changes upon reaction with the harmful heavy metal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The recognition kit of claim 1, wherein the biosurfactant reacts with the heavy metal to form a complex and thus the color of the diagnostic solution changes, and an amount of the complex is in proportion to an amount of the heavy metal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The recognition kit of claim 1, wherein the biosurfactant is sodium alginate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The recognition kit of claim 2, wherein the biosurfactant is a mixture of sodium alginate and rhamnolipid.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The recognition kit of claim 4, further comprising a display part comprising a light irradiation module radiating light to one side of the receiving member, a light acquisition module obtaining light transmitted to an opposite side of the receiving member, an analysis module comparing an amount of light radiated by the light irradiation module with an amount of light obtained by the light acquisition module to obtain a result value, and a display module displaying the result value of the analysis module.

### Claim 6

A method of recognizing a harmful heavy metal, comprising:
manufacturing a recognition kit including a receiving member and a diagnostic solution containing at least one biosurfactant;
placing a sample in the receiving member of the recognition kit to allow the sample to react with the diagnostic solution; and
recognizing presence or absence of the harmful heavy metal in the sample by visually observing a color change in the diagnostic solution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising recognizing presence or absence of the harmful heavy metal in the sample based on data on radiated light using a display part.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein, a predetermined amount of light is radiated to one side of the receiving member, light transmitted to an opposite side of the receiving member is obtained, and an amount of light thus obtained is analyzed with a comparison value to display presence or absence of the heavy metal in the sample.