Method and apparatus for immunoassays
First Claim
1. An apparatus for use in a ligand-receptor assay process for determination of the presence or concentration of a target ligand in a liquid sample comprising:
- (a) a porous first member which has upper and lower surfaces, the sample being applied to the upper surface, and wherein at least one first receptor capable of binding the target ligand is directly or indirectly bound within an area smaller than the area of the member to which the sample is applied; and
(b) a second member which is a body of absorbent material having a surface over which the lower surface of the first member is placed and having capillaries therethrough which are in communication with the pores on the lower surface of the first member so as to draw liquid added to the upper surface of the first member which has permeated the first member into the capillaries of the second member, the communication between the first and second members having been established prior to, and maintained during, addition of liquids to the apparatus during the assay process.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is an apparatus and process for conducting ligand receptor assays. The apparatus comprises a first member which is a membrane or a filter to which is bound a receptor for the ligand or which is capable of extracting cells carrying the ligand from a fluid sample. The apparatus further comprises a second member which is composed of absorbent material which acts when in contact with the first member to induce flow through the first member when a fluid sample is added to it. The apparatus is used to conduct assays by applying a sample to the upper surface of the first member to bind ligand in the sample by means of receptor fixed to the first member or, in certain cases, by extracting cellular material which has ligand associated with it. Addition of the sample is typically followed by addition of labeled antibody against the antigen being assayed followed by a washing step to remove unbound labeled receptor. The presence of labeled antibody on the first member after washing is indicative of the presence of the antigen in the sample being assayed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ligand is an antigen and the receptor is an antibody.
218 Citations
140 Claims
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1. An apparatus for use in a ligand-receptor assay process for determination of the presence or concentration of a target ligand in a liquid sample comprising:
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(a) a porous first member which has upper and lower surfaces, the sample being applied to the upper surface, and wherein at least one first receptor capable of binding the target ligand is directly or indirectly bound within an area smaller than the area of the member to which the sample is applied; and (b) a second member which is a body of absorbent material having a surface over which the lower surface of the first member is placed and having capillaries therethrough which are in communication with the pores on the lower surface of the first member so as to draw liquid added to the upper surface of the first member which has permeated the first member into the capillaries of the second member, the communication between the first and second members having been established prior to, and maintained during, addition of liquids to the apparatus during the assay process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140)
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61. An apparatus for use in a ligand-receptor assay process for determination of the presence or concentration of a target ligand in a liquid sample comprising:
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(a) a porous first member which has upper and lower surfaces, the sample being applied to the upper surface, and wherein at least one anti-receptor capable of binding a first receptor is directly or indirectly bound within an area smaller than the area of the member to which the sample is applied, the first receptor being capable of binding the target ligand; and (b) a second member which is a body of absorbent material having a surface over which the lower surface of the first member is placed and having capillaries therethrough which are in communication with the pores on the lower surface of the first member so as to draw liquid added to the upper surface of the first member which has permeated the first member into the capillaries of the second member, the communication between the first and second members having been established prior to, and maintained during, addition of liquids to the apparatus during the assay process. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131)
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Specification