Assay Apparatus

• US 20150309008A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAssay, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Green Domain Design LLC
• Inventors: Adelman, Lonnie W., Bhagwath, Nitin C.
• Granted Patent: US 10,309,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/487 of liquid biological material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48785 Electrical and electronic details of measuring devices for physical analysis of liquid biological material not specific to a particular test method, e.g. user interface or power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Provided herein is an assay apparatus comprising at least one assay module; and a portable frame adapted to releasably retain the at least one assay module. The at least one assay module is adapted to perform at least one assay. The assay module comprises a sample receiver and an assay device operatively associated with the sample receiver. In some embodiments, the assay apparatus further comprises at least one functional module releasably retained by the portable frame. The functional module is operatively associated with the assay module when retained by the portable frame.

Claims

1-66. -66. (canceled)

67. An assay apparatus, comprising

at least one assay module, and

a portable frame adapted to releasably retain the at least one assay module;

wherein the at least one assay module is adapted to perform at least one assay, the assay module comprising a sample receiver and an assay device operatively associated with the sample receiver.

68. The assay apparatus of claim 67, further comprising at least one functional module releasably retained by the portable frame, the functional module being operatively associated with the assay module when retained by the portable frame.

69. The assay apparatus of claim 68, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a functional device selected from the group consisting of a battery, a wireless data transmission device, a wired data transmission device, a microprocessor, an interface for receiving and recording signals from at least one vital sign detector, a luminescence recorder, a display device, a portable computing device, a data storage device, a camera, and combinations thereof.

70. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a battery, and wherein the assay module further comprising a power inlet for receiving electric power from the battery.

71. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a wireless data transmission device operating on one or more transmission technologies selected from 3G communication protocols, 4G communication protocols, GSM standards, CDMA protocols, IEEE 802.11 standards, Bluetooth protocols, satellite communications, visible light communications, infrared communications, and near field communications.

72. The assay apparatus of any one of claim 68, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a portable computing device.

73. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one functional module comprises an interface for at least one vital sign detector operative associated with the functional module.

74. The assay apparatus of claim 73, wherein the at least one vital sign detectors collects body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, or combinations thereof.

75. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a luminescence recorder adapted to record luminescence generated by the assay device.

76. The assay apparatus of claim 75, wherein the luminescence recorder is selected from a camera, a fluorescent light recorder, a UV recorder, a diode/amplifier type receiver, or combinations thereof.

77. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the at least one functional module comprises a display device adapted to display assay module information, functional module information, sample information, or combinations thereof.

78. The assay apparatus of claim 69, wherein the portable computing device comprises a digital processor configured to perform one or more of the following:

(a) providing step-by-step guidance for using the assay apparatus;

(b) collecting, processing and organizing assay information acquired from the assay module, the functional module, or a combination thereof;

(c) communicating assay information to a user, wherein the assay information is acquired from the assay module, the functional module, or a combination thereof.

79. The assay apparatus of claim 67, wherein the at least one assay performed by the assay module is selected from the group consisting of health care assays, veterinary assays, food product assays, environmental assays, Sodium assay, Potassium assay, Chloride assay, BUN/Urea assay, Glucose assay, Hematocrit assay, Ionized Calcium assay, PO2 assay, pH assay, PCO2 assay, Creatinine assay, Lactate assay, Celite ACT assay, Prothrombin Time PT/INR assay, Kaolin ACT assay, Cardiac Troponin I/cTnI assay, Total Carbon Dioxide/TC02 assay, Creatine Kinase MB/CK-MB assay, B-Type Natriuretic Peptide/BNP assay, immunodiagnostic assays, DNA sequencing assays, bioluminescent assays, cell cytometry assays, lateral flow assays, HbAlc assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), bioluminescence assay, cell cytometry assay, lateral flow assay, pregnancy assays, and drug screening assays, air quality assays, asbestos assays, water quality assays, soil content assays, radon gas assays.

80. The assay apparatus of claim 68, wherein (a) the portable frame comprises a plurality of recessed receiving areas for releasably receiving the at least one assay module and the at least one functional module, and (b) at least two of the recessed receiving areas are electrically or optically connected to each other to allow transfer of electrical power, light or optical information between assay modules, between functional modules, or between assay and functional modules.

81. The assay apparatus of claim 67, further comprising a module-recognizing mechanism configured to prevent unauthorized use of the assay apparatus.

82. The assay apparatus of claim 81, wherein the module-recognizing mechanism comprises one or more physical features on the at least one assay module and one or more matching physical feature on the portable frame.

83. An assay apparatus, comprising

an assay module adapted to perform an interactive assay comprising multiple assay steps, the assay module comprising a sample receiver, an interactive assay device operatively associated with the sample receiver;

and

a portable frame adapted to releasably retain the assay module,

wherein the interactive assay device comprises at least one check point adapted to allow selective continuation of the remaining assay steps.

84. The assay apparatus of claim 83, wherein the interactive assay device comprises an optical device configured to (a) collect assay information the at least one check point and (b) generate an image of the at least one check point.

85. The assay apparatus of claim 83, wherein the selective continuation of the remaining assay steps is controlled by a user or by a microprocessor.

86. The assay apparatus of any one of claims 83, wherein the interactive assay comprises at least one immunodiagnostic assay or microfluidic channel.