Microspot test kit and method for chemical testing
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorThaddeus John Novak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, system and kit for detecting the presence of an analyte includes placing a solution containing the analyte in a microcapillary tube and placing the microcapillary tube in contact with a layer of sorbent material so that the solution is withdrawn from the microcapillary tube by capillary action. A detector reagent which has been pre-deposited on the sorbent material indicates the presence of the analyte. The sorbent material, detector reagent, and the solvent for the analyte solution are selected so that the solvent is absorbed into the sorbent material and the analyte is adsorbed by the sorbent material and concentrated at the spot where the detector reagent has been pre-deposited and where the microcapillary tube contacts the sorbent material.
Claims26
A method of detecting the presence of an analyte, comprising the steps of:
- placing a chromogenic or fluorogenic detector reagent for detecting the presence of the analyte on a chromatographic sheet or medium containing sorbent material selected from the group consisting of silica gel, high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) silica gel, polysilicic acid, aluminum oxide, and mixtures of thereof;
- placing the analyte in a solution where the solvent for the analyte consists of a non-aqueous solvent selected from the group of hexadecane, nonane, cyclohexane, trimethylpentane, petroleum ether, iso-hexanes, hexane, heptane, cyclopentane, trichlorotrifluoroethane, and pentane;
- placing the solution containing the analyte in a tube having an end portion with a microcapillary sized opening, so that when the tube is placed in contact with a chromatographic sheet having a surface layer formed of sorbent material, the solution containing the analyte is withdrawn from the end portion of the tube and onto the surface layer of the sorbent material by capillary action;
- placing the end portion of the tube having the microcapillary sized opening in contact with the sorbent material at the place where the detector reagent has been deposited on the sorbent material so that the solution containing the analyte is withdrawn from the tube by capillary action, the solvent being absorbed into the sorbent material and the analyte being separated from the solvent, and wherein the analyte remains at the spot of application and wherein the analyte is analyzed at this spot of application.
A method of screening a solution for an analyte that has been dissolved in a solvent to form the solution and for detecting the presence of the analyte when the solution is deposited in a sorbent material so that the analyte is separated from the solvent at the place of application to the sorbent material, comprising the steps of:
- placing a detector reagent for detecting the presence of the analyte on the sorbent material;
- placing the solution containing the analyte in a tube having an end portion forming a microcapillary sized opening in the end portion of the tube so that when the tube is placed in contact with the sorbent material, the solution containing the analyte in the tube is withdrawn from the end portion of the tube and into the sorbent material by capillary action;
- placing the end portion of the tube forming the microcapillary sized opening in contact with the sorbent material at the location where the detector reagent is placed on the sorbent material, so that the solution is withdrawn from the tube by capillary action, the solvent being absorbed into the sorbent material and the analyte being separated from the solvent and adsorbed by the sorbent material at the spot of application, wherein the analyte remains at the spot of application and is analyzed at this same spot.
A system for screening solutions containing an analyte and for detecting the presence of the analyte, comprising:
- means for obtaining a solution containing the analyte;
- tube means for receiving the solution containing the analyte, the tube means having an end portion with a microcapillary sized opening formed therein for dispensing the solution containing the analyte by capillary action;
- sorbent material means having a detector reagent pre-deposited in the sorbent material for detecting the presence of the analyte, the sorbent material means receiving the solution containing the analyte from the tube means as the end portion of the tube means having the microcapillary sized opening is brought in contact with the sorbent material means so the solution containing the analyte is deposited on the sorbent material means by capillary action where the detector reagent has been pre-deposited and with the analyte being adsorbed by and concentrated in the sorbent material and remaining at the spot of contact between the end portion of the tube means with the sorbent material means for combining with the detector reagent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.