Immunoassay apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for assaying a fluid sample with excitation radiation from a radiation source, which radiation is capable of exciting fluorescence in fluorescent material, said apparatus comprising:
- a totally internally reflecting, unitary elongated substrate transmissive to both said excitation radiation and to said fluorescence, said substrate comprising a boss and an elongated fiber into one end of which said radiation is to be introduced and at least a portion of the surface of which is adapted to contact said sample;
said one end of said fiber being fixedly coupled to said boss, said boss being dimensioned so that the maximum solid acceptance angle for said excitation radiation introduced into said one end lies totally within the transmissive medium of said boss.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An assay apparatus employing total internal reflection of excitation radiation at the interface between a replaceable optically conductive assay device and a surrounding liquid phase containing the substance being assayed. The assay device is formed of a radiation transmissive, elongated fiber having on the surface thereof a component of a complex formed in an immunological-type specific reaction. A fluorophore that can be excited into fluorescence by the excitation radiation is attached to another component of the complex. The assay device also includes a boss formed of a similarly radiation transmissive material with an index of refraction preferably matched to that of the fiber, one end of the fiber being fixedly coupled to the boss. The boss is dimensioned so that the maximum solid acceptance angle for excitation radiation introduced into the fiber end lies totally within the transmissive medium of said boss. In one embodiment, the fiber is coaxially mounted within a tube that is sized with respect to the fiber so that a fluid sample may be introduced into the tube.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. Apparatus for assaying a fluid sample with excitation radiation from a radiation source, which radiation is capable of exciting fluorescence in fluorescent material, said apparatus comprising:
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a totally internally reflecting, unitary elongated substrate transmissive to both said excitation radiation and to said fluorescence, said substrate comprising a boss and an elongated fiber into one end of which said radiation is to be introduced and at least a portion of the surface of which is adapted to contact said sample; said one end of said fiber being fixedly coupled to said boss, said boss being dimensioned so that the maximum solid acceptance angle for said excitation radiation introduced into said one end lies totally within the transmissive medium of said boss. - 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)
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Specification