Chemical analysis apparatus and method
AssigneeBio-Metric Systems, Inc.
InventorsPatrick E. Guire, Melvin J. Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the determination of an analyte in a liquid sample, the method and apparatus employing a liquid-permeable solid medium defining a liquid flow path. The medium includes one or more reactant-containing reaction zones spaced apart along the flow path and in which reaction occurs with the analyte or an analyte-derivative (e.g. a labelled analyte) to result in the formation of a predetermined product. Detector means are employed to detect analyte, analyte derivative, reactant or predetermined product in one or more reaction zones, the number of such zones in which such detection occurs reflecting the presence of analyte in the liquid.
Claims30
A device generating a signal indicative of the presence of an analyte in a liquid solution suspected of containing said analyte, said device comprising:
- (a) a liquid permeable solid medium comprising a solution contact portion and one or more spaced reactive zones separated from said contact portion;
- (b) a solution suspected of containing said analyte and having traversed said medium, including said reactive zone(s);
- (c) a reactant non-diffusively bound to said medium only at said reactive zone(s), said reactant being specific for and bound to said analyte or a reaction product comprising said analyte and a chemical moiety;
- and
- (d) a labeled antibody specific for and bound to said analyte or said reaction product in said reactive zone(s);
- wherein said device provides a detectable signal in said reactive zone(s) as an indication of the presence or absence of said analyte in said solution.
A method for detecting the presence of an analyte in a carrier liquid suspected of containing said analyte, which method comprises;
- a) providing a liquid permeable solid medium which defines a path for fluid flow capable of supporting capillary flow, along which are i) a site for application of the carrier liquid, ii) a diffusively bound labeled antibody specific for the analyte or a chemical moiety which is itself the reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety, said antibody being capable of flow along the flow path, and iii) one or more zones spaced along said flow path, each zone having a predetermined amount of a reactant bound to it which is specific for either the analyte or a chemical moiety which is itself the reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety;
- b) contacting said application site with said carrier liquid such that the liquid passes along the flow path by capillary flow such that analyte or reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety becomes bound to both the labeled antibody and the reactant bound to the solid medium;
- and
- c) detecting the labeled antibody which, together with the reactant bound to the solid, medium, has sandwiched the analyte or chemical moiety as an indication of the presence of analyte.
A device for detecting the presence of an analyte in a carrier liquid suspected of containing said analyte, which device comprises a liquid permeable solid medium which defines a path for fluid flow capable of supporting capillary flow, along which are i) a site for application of the carrier liquid, ii) a diffusively bound labeled antibody specific for the analyte or a chemical moiety which is itself the reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety, said antibody being capable of flow along the flow path, and iii) one or more zones spaced along said flow path, each zone having a predetermined amount of a reactant bound to it which is specific for either the analyte or a chemical moiety which is itself the reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety;
- wherein said device can be used by contacting a carrier liquid with said application site in such a manner that permits said liquid to pass along the flow path by capillary flow such that analyte or reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety becomes bound to both the labeled antibody and the reactant bound to the solid medium;
- and wherein the labeled antibody, with the reactant bound to the solid medium, sandwiches the analyte or a chemical moiety which is itself the reaction product of the analyte with another chemical moiety.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.