LATERAL-FLOW POROUS MEMBRANE ASSAY WITH FLOW RATE CONTROL
First Claim
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1. A lateral flow assay device comprising:
- a first substrate with a porous matrix adapted for conducting lateral flow, said substrate having;
a sample contact zone and a detection zone as part of a buffer pad,a feedback zone as part of a wicking pad, anda flow-rate control zone situated downstream of said detection zone and between said detection zone and said feedback zone, physically separating said detection and feedback zones, within said flow-rate control zone are a number of flow-rate control mechanisms constituting either surface features or laminated substrate layers having a plurality or combination of different flow-rate control mechanisms in a body, such that said flow-rate control zone regulates development of a visual signal in said feedback zone, andeach of said zones is in fluidic communication with each other.
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Abstract
Various modifications to a porous substrate, such as employed in lateral flow assay devices, to regulate or modify the flow rate and/or flow path pattern of a fluid through the porous substrate is described. The lateral flow assay device has a porous substrate matrix in fluid communication with a flow-rate control zone having a number of flow-rate control devices arranged as features in or on a substrate surface or laminates thereof in a body. The flow-rate control devices may include: a density gradient, porosity gradient, ion affinity gradient, micro-channels, and combinations thereof.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A lateral flow assay device comprising:
a first substrate with a porous matrix adapted for conducting lateral flow, said substrate having; a sample contact zone and a detection zone as part of a buffer pad, a feedback zone as part of a wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated downstream of said detection zone and between said detection zone and said feedback zone, physically separating said detection and feedback zones, within said flow-rate control zone are a number of flow-rate control mechanisms constituting either surface features or laminated substrate layers having a plurality or combination of different flow-rate control mechanisms in a body, such that said flow-rate control zone regulates development of a visual signal in said feedback zone, and each of said zones is in fluidic communication with each other. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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2. (canceled)
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10. An assay apparatus to monitor specific gravity of a urine sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a lateral flow assay format having a porous matrix in fluid communication with a buffer pad, wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated between and physically separating said buffer pad and wicking pad, said flow-rate control zone regulates an amount of time needed for development and appearance of a visual signal in a observation-feedback zone of said wicking pad until a color transition in a detection zone of said buffer pad attains color stability.
- View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An absorbent article comprising:
- a first substrate with a porous matrix adapted for conducting lateral flow, said substrate having a sample contact zone and a detection zone on a buffer pad, feedback zone on a wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated between and physically separating said detection zone and said feedback zone, wherein each of said zones is in fluidic communication with each other, either directly or indirectly by an adjacent component, said flow- rate control zone having a number of flow-rate control mechanisms as surface features or laminated substrate layers thereof, such devices being at least one of the following;
a density gradient, filter porosity gradient, ion affinity gradient, micro-channels, and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (15)
- a first substrate with a porous matrix adapted for conducting lateral flow, said substrate having a sample contact zone and a detection zone on a buffer pad, feedback zone on a wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated between and physically separating said detection zone and said feedback zone, wherein each of said zones is in fluidic communication with each other, either directly or indirectly by an adjacent component, said flow- rate control zone having a number of flow-rate control mechanisms as surface features or laminated substrate layers thereof, such devices being at least one of the following;
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16. A method for controlling flow rate and time intervals of fluids in a lateral flow assay device, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate with a porous matrix in fluid communication with a flow-rate control zone;
forming a number of flow-rate control devices as features in a substrate surface;and positioning at least one substrate or a plurality of laminated substrate layers thereof together in said flow-rate control zone, said flow-rate control devices being selected from the group consisting of;
a density gradient, porosity gradient, ion affinity gradient, micro-channels, and combinations thereof. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
- providing a substrate with a porous matrix in fluid communication with a flow-rate control zone;
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21. A method of monitoring dehydration, the method comprises:
- providing a later flow strip with a porous matrix in fluid communication with a buffer pad, wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated between said buffer pad and wicking pad;
introducing a test sample to a sample zone on said buffer pad, allowing said sample to travel through a detection zone to said flow-rate control zone before developing a visual signal in an observation-feedback zone;
controlling the flow rate by means of manipulating porosity, density, or ion affinity gradient in a matrix forming at least part of said flow-rate control zone.
- providing a later flow strip with a porous matrix in fluid communication with a buffer pad, wicking pad, and a flow-rate control zone situated between said buffer pad and wicking pad;
Specification