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AssigneeUnilever Patent Holdings B.V.
InventorsPaul James Davis, Michael Evans Prior, Keith May
Estimating the term…
An analytical test device incorporating a dry porous carrier to which a liquid sample, eg. urine, suspected of containing an analyte such as HCG or LH can be applied indirectly, the device also incorporating a labelled specific binding reagent which is freely mobile in the porous carrier when in the moist state, and an unlabelled specific binding reagent which is permanently immobilised in a detection zone on the carrier material, the labelled and unlabelled specific binding reagents being capable of participating in either a sandwich reaction or a competition reaction in the presence of the analyte, in which prior to the application to the device of a liquid sample suspected of containing the analyte, the labelled specific binding reagent is retained in the dry state in a macroporous body, eg. of plastics material having a pore size of 10 microns or greater, through which the applied liquid sample must pass en route to the porous carrier material, the labelled specific binding reagent being freely soluble or dispersible in any liquid sample which enters the macroporous body.
An analytical test device suitable for analyzing a liquid sample suspected of containing an analyte, said device comprising the following separate components in sequential fluid communication:
A pregnancy testing device for detecting hCG antigen in a urine sample comprising a hollow elongated casing containing a dry porous nitrocellulose carrier which communicates indirectly with the exterior of the casing via a bibulous urine receiving member which protrudes from the casing, the porous nitrocellulose carrier and the sample receiving member being linked via a macroporous body which is different from the dry porous carrier such that any urine sample reaching the porous carrier must first pass through the macroporous body, the sample receiving member and the macroporous body together acting as a reservoir from which urine is released into the porous carrier, the macroporous body containing a specific anti-hCG antibody bearing a coloured particulate label, the labelled antibody being freely mobile within the macroporous body and the porous carrier when in the moist state, and in a detection zone on the carrier spatially distant from the macroporous body a specific unlabelled anti-hCG antibody which is permanently immobilised on the carrier material and is therefore not mobile in the moist state, the labelled and unlabelled antibodies having specificities for different hCG epitopes, the casing being constructed of opaque or translucent material incorporating at least one aperture through which the analytical result may be observed, together with a removable and replaceable cover for the protruding bibulous urine receiving member, said nitrocellulose carrier and macroporous body overlapping at their adjacent ends to provide effective contact between these components to ensure that liquid sample applied to said application member can permeate sequentially through the macroporous body and the carrier strip.
A testing device for detecting LH antigen in a urine sample comprising a hollow elongated casing containing a dry porous nitrocellulose carrier which communicates indirectly with the exterior of the casing via a bibulous urine receiving member which protrudes from the casing, the porous nitrocellulose carrier and the sample receiving member being linked via a macroporous body which is different from the dry porous carrier such that any urine sample reaching the porous carrier must first pass through the macroporous body, the sample receiving member and the macroporous body together acting as a reservoir from which urine is released into the porous carrier, the macroporous body containing a specific anti-LH antibody bearing a coloured particulate label, the labelled antibody being freely mobile within the macroporous body and the porous carrier when in the moist state, and in a detection zone on the carrier spatially distant from the macroporous body a specific unlabelled anti-LH antibody which is permanently immobilised on the carrier material and is therefore not mobile in the moist state, the labelled and unlabelled antibodies having specificities for different LH epitopes, the casing being constructed of opaque or translucent material incorporating at least one aperture through which the analytical result may be observed, together with a removable and replaceable cover for the protruding bibulous urine receiving member, said nitrocellulose carrier and macroporous body overlapping at their adjacent ends to provide effective contact between these components to ensure that liquid sample applied to said application member can permeate sequentially through the macroporous body and the carrier strip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.