TEST DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20120321519A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brown, Robin
• Granted Patent: US 9,482,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/82.05
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50 Containers for the purpose of retaining a material to be analysed, e.g. test tubes devices for taking samples of blood A61B5/15
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502715 characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5029 using swabs
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8483 Investigating reagent band test-element handling not specific to a test method G01N33/4875; analytical elements specific to chemical analysis of biological material G01N33/52; autometer with reagent band G01N35/04

Abstract

A connection assembly for a test device comprises a carriage for receiving at least a portion of a test device and a receptacle for co-operation with the carriage. The carriage is longitudinally movable with respect to the receptacle and is latchable to the receptacle at a predetermined position.

Claims

1. A reader for determining the presence and/or amount of one or more analytes in a sample carried by an assay device, said reader optionally comprising a carriage for at least a portion of the assay device;

wherein the reader is adapted to receive at least a portion of the assay device into a cavity of the reader;

the reader comprising magnetic means for latching the assay device onto the reader within said cavity at a predetermined reading position, said latching either being direct latching or via latching of the carriage onto the reader.

3. A reader according to claim 1 or 2, wherein one or more magnetic means are provided in or adjacent the cavity, which co-operate with one or more magnetic means either on an assay device itself or on the carriage for the assay device.

4. A reader according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a carriage for receiving at least a portion of an assay device in its interior, and the carriage is adapted to be received in the cavity of the reader.

5. A reader according to claim 4, wherein the carriage is removable from the cavity of the reader.

6. A reader according to any of claims 1-4, wherein the reader comprises a carriage for at least a portion of an assay device, and the carriage forms at least one wall of the cavity.

7. A reader according to any of the preceding claims, having a protrusion in the cavity, which mates with a recess in an assay device and/or carriage, if present, when an assay device is located at the predetermined reading position.

8. A reader according to any of the preceding claims, which comprises means for latching an assay device and/or carriage onto the reader within said cavity at a predetermined pre-reading and/or post-reading position that is spaced apart from the reading position, and preferably also spaced apart from the protrusion, if present.

9. A reader according to claim 8, wherein the pre-/post-reading position and the reading position are arranged such that an assay device and, if present, the carriage, are conveyed in two dimensions between the pre-/post-reading position and the reading position, preferably upon application of a linear force.

2. A reader according to claim, wherein the reader comprises optical reading means.

10. A test kit for determining the presence and/or amount of one or more analytes in a sample, comprising an assay device and a reader, said reader optionally comprising a carriage for at least a portion of the assay device;

wherein the reader is adapted to receive at least a portion of the assay device into a cavity thereof; and

the kit comprises magnetic means for latching the assay device onto the reader within said cavity at a predetermined reading position, said latching either being direct latching or via latching of the carriage onto the reader.

11. A test kit according to claim 10, wherein performing an assay for the one or more analytes causes a change to occur at a test zone of the assay device, said change only being detectable by the reader when the assay device is located at the predetermined reading position.

12. A test kit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the reader comprises optical reading means.

13. A test kit according to any of claims 10-12, wherein the assay device comprises a porous carrier and/or microfluidic flow path.

14. A test kit according to any of claims 10-13, wherein one or more magnetic means are provided in or adjacent the cavity, which co-operate with one or more magnetic means either on the assay device itself or on the carriage for the assay device.

15. A test kit according to any of claims 10-14, wherein the reader comprises a carriage for receiving at least a portion of the assay device in its interior, and the carriage is adapted to be received in the cavity of the reader.

16. A test kit according to claim 15, wherein the carriage is removable from the cavity of the reader.

17. A test kit according to any of claims 10-15, wherein the reader comprises a carriage for at least a portion of the assay device, and the carriage forms at least one wall of the cavity.

18. A test kit according to any of claims 10 to 17, wherein the reader contains a protrusion in the cavity, which mates with a recess in the assay device and/or carriage, if present, when the assay device is located at the predetermined reading position.

19. A test kit according to any of claims 10 to 18, which comprises means for latching the assay device and/or carriage onto the reader within said cavity at a predetermined pre-reading and/or post-reading position that is spaced apart from the reading position, and preferably also spaced apart from the protrusion, if present.

20. A test kit according to claim 19, wherein the pre-/post-reading position and the reading position are arranged such that the assay device and, if present, the carriage, are conveyed in two dimensions between the pre-/post-reading position and the reading position, preferably upon application of a linear force.

21. A test kit constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.