Early determination of assay results
AssigneeInverness Medical Switzerland GmbH
InventorsStephen Paul Sharrock, Andrew Peter Phelan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for determining the result of an assay may include a computation circuit, responsive to a signal representing the amount of an analyte or the rate of accumulation of an analyte, to: compare the signal to a first threshold; compare the signal to a second threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold; generate an output signal if the signal exceeds the first threshold or the signal is less than the second threshold, the output signal indicative of a first result if the signal exceeds the first threshold, or, alternatively, the output signal indicative of a second result if the signal is less than the second threshold; and terminate the assay if the signal exceeds the first threshold or the signal is less than the second threshold.
Claims27
A device for determining the result of an assay, comprising:
- a computation circuit, responsive to a signal representing the amount of an analyte or the rate of accumulation of an analyte, to:
- compare the signal to a first threshold;
- compare the signal to a second threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold;
- generate an output signal if the signal exceeds the first threshold or the signal is less than the second threshold, the output signal indicative of a first result if the signal exceeds the first threshold, or, alternatively, the output signal indicative of a second result if the signal is less than the second threshold;
- and
- terminate the assay if the signal exceeds the first threshold or the signal is less than the second threshold.
An assay result reading device for reading the result of an assay to detect the presence and/or amount of an analyte of interest and wherein the presence or absence, as appropriate, of the analyte of interest causes a reaction which leads to the accumulation of a signal in a time-dependent manner, the device comprising:
- means for determining the rate or amount of signal accumulation;
- means for comparing the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation with an upper threshold value;
- means for comparing the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation with a lower threshold value;
- and
- means for declaring the result of the assay if the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation exceeds the upper threshold value or is below the lower threshold value or at such time when it is determined that the rate or amount of signal accumulation will not exceed or is not likely to exceed the lower threshold value before the assay has been completed.
A method for determining a result of an assay, comprising:
- performing the assay to generate a signal representing the amount of an analyte or the rate of accumulation of an analyte;
- comparing the signal with a first threshold value before the assay reaches equilibrium;
- comparing the signal with a second threshold value before the assay reaches equilibrium;
- and
- declaring the result of the assay if the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation exceeds the first threshold value or is below the second threshold value.
A method of declaring the result or outcome of an assay to detect the presence and/or amount of an analyte of interest, the method comprising:
- performing the assay so as to cause the reaction which leads to the accumulation of a signal in a time-dependent manner;
- determining, before the reaction has reached equilibrium, the rate or amount of signal accumulation;
- comparing the determined rate or amount with an upper and a lower threshold value;
- and
- declaring the result or outcome of the assay if the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation exceeds the upper threshold value or is below the lower threshold value or at such time when it is determined that the rate or amount of signal accumulation will not exceed or is not likely to exceed the lower threshold value before the assay has been completed.
A device for determining an assay result, comprising:
- a computation circuit, responsive to a signal representing the amount of an analyte or the rate of accumulation of an analyte before the assay reaches equilibrium, to:
- compare the signal to a first threshold;
- compare the signal to a second threshold, the second threshold being less than the first threshold;
- and
- generate an output signal if the signal exceeds the first threshold or the signal is less than the second threshold, the output signal indicative of a first result if the signal exceeds the first threshold, or, alternatively, the output signal indicative of a second result if the signal is less than the second threshold.
A method comprising:
- performing an assay;
- before the assay has reached equilibrium, generating a signal representing the amount of an analyte or the rate of accumulation of an analyte;
- comparing the signal with a first threshold value;
- comparing the signal with a second threshold value;
- and
- declaring a result of the assay if the determined rate or amount of signal accumulation exceeds the first threshold value or is below the second threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.