Solid phase assay with visual readout

A process for assaying for an analyte, comprising:

• contacting a binder supported on a test area of a solid support with a solution analyte and a tracer, said binder being a binder for at least the analyte, said tracer being comprised of a ligand labeled with a visible particulate label wherein when said particulate label is a sac including a visible dye, said sac is selected from the group consisting of liposomes and microcapsules, said ligand being bound by one of the binder on the support and the analyte bound to the binder on the support, said test area being formed of nitrocellulose, said binder being supported in said test area in a concentration whereby bound tracer is visible on the support under assay conditions, said binder being supported in a concentration of at least 1 .mu.g/cm.sup.2 ;
• and
• determining the visibility of tracer bound in said test area as a measure of analyte in a sample.

A reagent kit for determining an analyte in solution comprising:

• a solid support including a binder on a test area of the solid support in a concentration of at least 1 .mu.g/cm.sup.2 ;
• and a tracer, said binder being a binder for at least the analyte, said tracer being comprised of a ligand labeled with a visible particulate label wherein when said particulate label is a sac including a visible dye, said sac is selected from the group consisting of liposomes and microcapsules, said ligand being bound to one of the binder on the support and the analyte bound to the binder on the support during an assay, said test area being formed of a material having a surface area for supporting the binder and the binder being supported in a concentration whereby bound tracer is visible on the support under assay condition, said binder being supported in a concentration of at least 1 .mu.g/cm.sup.2.

A process for assaying for an analyte, comprising:

• contacting a binder for an analyte supported on a test area of a solid support with a solution of analyte to bind analyte to said binder;
• determining bound analyte by use of a tracer comprised of a ligand labeled with a visible particulate label wherein when said particulate label is a sac including a visible dye said sac is selected from the group consisting of liposomes and microcapsules, said test area being formed of a material having a surface area for supporting the binder and the binder being supported in a concentration whereby tracer is visible on the support under assay conditions, said binder being supported in a concentration of at least 1 .mu.g/cm.sup.2, said analyte being determined by the visibility of the tracer in the test area.