Assay device with captured particle reagent

• US 5,382,512 A
• Filed: 08/23/1993
• Issued: 01/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chiron Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Chiron Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Warner, Brian D., Smethers, Rick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): YARBROUGH, AMELIA
• Application Number:
  US08/110,435
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 422/100, 422/101, 422/102, 422/103, 422/104, 422/52, 422/58, 435/6, 436/805, 436/809, 436/810
• US Class Current: 435/6.11
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00468 by manipulation of individual beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/0668 Trapping microscopic beads
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0609 Holders integrated in container to position an object
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00564 Handling or washing solid phase elements, e.g. beads
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5302 Apparatus specially adapted for immunological test procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5304 Reaction vessels, e.g. agglutination plates for solid-phase systems G01N33/543
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54313 the carrier being characterised by its particulate form
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54366 Apparatus specially adapted for solid-phase testing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/56988 HIV or HTLV
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/805 Optical property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/809 Multifield plates or multicontainer arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/81 Tube, bottle, or dipstick

Abstract

The invention describes an assay device and assembly for detecting an analyte in a liquid sample. Each assay device in the assembly includes structure defining a well, a ligand-coated particle, and a flexible particle retaining structure for holding the particle in a captured position within the well.

Claims

1. An assay device for use in detecting an analyte in a liquid sample by means of a detectable reaction that is related to the amount of analyte present in the sample, comprising

wall means defining a well having a bottom wall and an upper opening through which such a reaction can be detected,

a particle having surface-bound ligand molecules for use in analyte detection, said particle being supported on said bottom wall, and

flexible retaining means attached to said wall means, for retaining said particle in a captured position within said well, when the retaining means is in an undeformed condition, and which can be deformed to admit said particle into the well.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said flexible retaining means includes finger-like projection means extending from said bottom wall in the direction of said upper opening.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said finger-like projection means includes three flexible projections extending from said bottom wall in the direction of said upper opening and terminating at free ends, where at least one of said projections has an inwardly facing detente dimensioned to hold the particle in a captured position, with said projections in an undeformed condition.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of the three flexible finger-like projections further includes a second detent positioned and dimensioned to coact with the first-mentioned detent to hold said particle in a raised position above said bottom wall in said well.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said particle is a torus with a central opening, and said flexible retaining means is a stem projecting from said bottom wall, and having a flared distal portion which is compressible to allow receipt of the particle opening onto said stem.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall includes a drainage portion from which liquid can be drawn from the well, with the particle captured in the well.

7. The device of claim 1, which further includes a means formed on said bottom wall, effective to support said particle in an elevated position in the well.

8. The device of claim 1, for use in detecting a nucleic acid analyte, wherein the ligand molecules are single-stranded nucleic acid molecules including sequence complementarity to said nucleic acid analyte.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said analyte is detected by a chemiluminescence detector, and said wall means are constructed of an opaque polymer.