Changeable machine readable assaying indicia

• US 20050214865A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murray Lappe
• Original Assignee: Murray Lappe
• Inventors: Lappe, Murray
• Application Number:
  US11/063,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20050214865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/7.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0605 Metering of fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/141 Preventing contamination, tampering
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/021 Identification, e.g. bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/025 Displaying results or values with integrated means
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/042 Caps; Plugs
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/046 Function or devices integrated in the closure
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/047 Additional chamber, reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0663 Whole sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/069 Absorbents; Gels to retain a fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0825 Test strips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0832 cylindrical, tube shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0406 capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0478 pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0683 mechanically breaking a wall or membrane within a channel or chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/545 for laboratory containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/528 Atypical element structures, e.g. gloves, rods, tampons, toilet paper
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/94 involving narcotics or drugs or pharmaceuticals, neurotransmitters or associated receptors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 : Communications between instruments or with remote terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/10 : at least one kind of marking being used for authentication, e.g. of credit or identity cards verification of coded identity or credit cards in mechanisms actuated by them G07F7/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06253 : for a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 : Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 : Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 : for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/12 : Condition responsive control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/13 : Tracers or tags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/25 : including sample preparation

Abstract

A machine readable assaying system comprising a test card having machine readable assaying means. A plurality of individual analysis strips, each strip comprising antibodies and/or reagents capable of indicating the positive presence of distinct illicit substances form a pattern of elements including one or more fixed strips and one or more blank regions. The detection of the presence of a particular substance or drug will result in one or more of the analysis strips changing from a first (light reflective) color to a second darker (light absorbent) color. The pattern of analysis strips, fixed strips and blank regions may be provided to encode one or more characters/digits of information. By the inclusion of the analysis strips with the plurality of fixed strips and blank regions, the detection of one or more illicit substances may alter the overall pattern of fixed and test strips and blank regions, and hence cause the encoded information represented thereby to be altered. Accordingly, the particular pattern of bars and spaces that result from an exposure the physiological fluids of a donor is contemplated to produce a distinct machine readable indicia. The transformation which occurs on the test card will be uninterpretable by the administrator of the test, thus preserving the anonymity and privacy of the tested individual.

Claims

1. A method of carrying out a test to detect for the presence or absence of a target substance in a human donor-derived physiological sample, said method comprising the steps of:

providing;

(1) a test surface adapted to contact said sample and having at least one machine-readable indicium thereon, said indicium having an initial state and being capable of changing to an altered state in response to contact with said sample; and

(2) a scanning unit capable of scanning said machine-readable indicium on said surface, said scanning unit including a programmed processor and a memory unit;

contacting said test surface with said sample; and

after said contacting step, using said scanning unit to scan said at least one indicium, and operating said processor to generate test data as a result of said scan,

said indicium being machine-readable only and not human interpretable in the absence of said machine reading.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of transmitting said test data to data storage separate from said scanning unit.

3. The method of claim 2, said transmitting step comprising the step of transmitting the test data over a communications link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sample is a fluid sample.

5. The method of claim 1, said surface having a plurality of machine-readable indicia thereon.

6. The method of claim 1, said sample being a urine sample.

7. Apparatus for carrying out a test to detect for the presence or absence of a target substance in a human donor-derived physiological sample, said apparatus comprising:

a test surface adapted to contact said sample and having at least one machine-readable indicium thereon, said indicium having an initial state and being capable of changing to an altered state in response to contact with said sample; and

a scanning unit capable of scanning said machine-readable indicium on said surface, said scanning unit including a programmed processor and a memory unit,

said scanning unit, operable, upon scanning of said test surface previously contacted with said sample, to generate said test data through operation of said processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, including structure for transmitting said test data to data storage separate from said scanning unit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, said structure comprising a communications link.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, said surface adapted for contacting a fluid sample.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, said surface having a plurality of machine-readable indicia thereon.