Method and apparatus for the on-location field detection of unidentified antigenic substances

A test device for the on-location field detection of unidentified antigenic substances which are detrimental to human or animal health or welfare, which device comprises:

• A) a first walled receptacle composed of inert transparent or translucent material and having a closed end and an open end,
• B) a second walled receptacle engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the open end of said first receptacle and having first and second open ends,
• C) a transverse liquid permeable barrier supported within said second receptacle,
• D) a transparent or translucent closure cap engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the second open end of said second receptacle,
• E) a white porous bibulous readout pad in engagement with the inside surface of said cap, said pad being spaced from said permeable barrier,
• F) a chromogen incorporated into said pad, and
• G) a substrate for a color-reactive detecting agent within the test device available for reaction with said chromogen and test material formed during use of the device.

A method for the on-location field detection of unidentified antigenic substances which are detrimental to human or animal health or welfare, said method employing a test device comprising:

• A) a first receptacle composed of inert transparent or translucent material and having a closed end and an open end,
• B) a second receptacle engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the open end of said first receptacle and having first and second open ends,
• C) a transverse liquid permeable barrier supported within said second receptacle,
• D) a transparent or translucent closure cap engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the second open end of said second receptacle,
• E) a white porous bibulous sheet material readout pad in engagement with the inside surface of said cap, said pad being spaced from said permeable barrier,
• F) a chromogen incorporated into said pad, and
• G) a substrate for a color-reactive detecting agent within the test device available for reaction with said chromogen and test material formed during use of the device, said method comprising:
• 1) irreversibly attaching a known antigenic substance, the detection of which is of interest, to a solid support and suspending in a buffer solution,
• 2) coupling a specific antibody to said known antigenic substance to a detecting agent to prepare a detecting agent--antibody conjugate,
• 3) admixing a sample solution containing the suspected unidentified antigenic substance to be detected, said suspended known antigenic substance on the solid support, and said conjugate, in the first receptacle of said test device,
• 4) assembling said first and second receptacles,
• 5) incubating the mixture to bind the unidentified antigenic substance to said conjugate,
• 6) inverting said test device and permitting the resulting conjugate with bound unidentified antigenic substance to pass through said permeable barrier while maintaining said known antigen and support separate from said bibulous pad in the cap,
• 7) contacting said white porous readout pad in said cap, said pad incorporating a chromogen, and a substrate for said detecting agent, with said conjugate with bound unidentified antigenic substance,
• 8) again inverting said test device and observing through the closure cap a color reaction in the readout pad if the unidentified antigenic substance in said sample solution is the same as that on the solid support.

A test device for the on-location field detection of unidentified antigenic substances which are detrimental to human or animal health or welfare, which device comprises:

• A) a first receptacle composed of inert transparent or translucent material and having a closed end and an open end, and capable of receiving a solution containing a known antigenic substance, the detection of which is of interest, irreversibly attached to a solid support and suspended in a buffer solution, along with a specific antibody to said known antigenic substance coupled to a detecting agent in a detecting agent-antibody conjugate, and a suspected antigenic substance to be detected, which, when incubated, binds the unidentified antigenic substance to the conjugate,
• B) a second receptacle engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the open end of said first receptacle and having first and second open ends,
• C) a transverse liquid permeable barrier supported within said second receptacle, said barrier being impermeable to said known antigen and support, while permitting passage of said conjugate with bound unidentified antigenic substance when the device is inverted,
• D) a transparent or translucent closure cap engageable in leak-proof sealed relation with the second open end of said second receptacle,
• E) a white porous bibulous readout pad in engagement with the inside surface of cap, said pad being spaced from said permeable barrier,
• F) a chromogen incorporated into said pad, and
• G) a substrate for a color-reactive detecting agent with in the test device available for observable color reaction with said chromogen and the conjugate with bound antigenic substance formed during use of the device, when the test device is inverted, if the unidentified antigenic substance in said sample solution is the same as that on the solid support.