Immunoassay

Abstract

There is provided an assay of enhanced sensitivity for the qualitative and quantitative determination of haptens. These may be assayed entities such as antigens, antibodies, a wide variety of biologically active proteins. The novel assay of increased sensitivity is based on the formation of a complex of the entity to be measured with another entity, tagging this conjugate with a oxidizing entity, reacting the resultant entity with a redox substrate to form a product which is photosensitive and irradiating same thus enhancing the sensitivity of the assay. Colored or fluorescent products give highly sensitive results. According to a preferred embodiment the oxidized entity is reacted with a non-ionic detergent, enhancing the resulting fluorescence.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.