Apparatus and method for determining the quanity of an analyte in a biological sample by means of transmission photometry
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for making a quantitative determination of the amount of an analyte in a biological sample comprising:
- a. a support medium for receiving a biological sample and retaining a labeled reaction product thereon, the medium including a read window capable of receiving a source light signal and transmitting therethrough a response light signal that has been altered from the source light signal by the presence of a labeled reaction product, wherein said medium is highly light-scattering, the amount of said alteration of said response light signal by said labeled reaction product being an indication of the amount of said analyte in said biological sample;
b. a source of light positioned to transmit a source light signal to the read window of the medium and to the labeled reaction product at the read window, whereby the response light signal is produced;
c. a collector positioned to receive the response light signal transmitted from the read window of the medium, said collector capable of developing a variable output signal in direct correspondence to the intensity of the response light signal, said collector being a photosensitive element; and
d. means for measuring the variable output signal and correlating the measured signal to the amount of analyte in the sample, said means for measuring the variable output signal comprising;
(1) a capacitor network connected in series with the photosensitive element, said capacitor network comprising a capacitor, said capacitor network having a discharge cycle over a time cycled duration;
(2) a power source coupled to the capacitor network and the photosensitive element and capable of charging the capacitor network; and
(3) means for measuring the duration of the discharge cycle of the capacitor network through the resistance developed by the photosensitive element in response to the intensity of the response light signal, wherein the light intensity of the response light signal is related to the duration of the discharge cycle.
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Abstract
A device and method for quantitative determination of an analyte in a biological sample utilizes a non-transparent support medium for retaining a chromatogenic reaction product with the medium being exposed to a source of light for transmitting therethrough a scattered, uniform response light signal which is collected at a photosensitive device whereby the amount of the analyte is correlated to the intensity of the response light signal. The response light signal may be converted to a time-duration signal proportional to light intensity to facilitate the quantitative determination.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An apparatus for making a quantitative determination of the amount of an analyte in a biological sample comprising:
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a. a support medium for receiving a biological sample and retaining a labeled reaction product thereon, the medium including a read window capable of receiving a source light signal and transmitting therethrough a response light signal that has been altered from the source light signal by the presence of a labeled reaction product, wherein said medium is highly light-scattering, the amount of said alteration of said response light signal by said labeled reaction product being an indication of the amount of said analyte in said biological sample; b. a source of light positioned to transmit a source light signal to the read window of the medium and to the labeled reaction product at the read window, whereby the response light signal is produced; c. a collector positioned to receive the response light signal transmitted from the read window of the medium, said collector capable of developing a variable output signal in direct correspondence to the intensity of the response light signal, said collector being a photosensitive element; and d. means for measuring the variable output signal and correlating the measured signal to the amount of analyte in the sample, said means for measuring the variable output signal comprising; (1) a capacitor network connected in series with the photosensitive element, said capacitor network comprising a capacitor, said capacitor network having a discharge cycle over a time cycled duration; (2) a power source coupled to the capacitor network and the photosensitive element and capable of charging the capacitor network; and (3) means for measuring the duration of the discharge cycle of the capacitor network through the resistance developed by the photosensitive element in response to the intensity of the response light signal, wherein the light intensity of the response light signal is related to the duration of the discharge cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of determination the amount of an analyte present in a liquid biological sample comprising:
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a. providing a highly light-scattering support medium for receiving a liquid, analyte-containing biological sample and for retaining thereon a labeled reaction product, said support medium having a read window, said read window being positioned between a source light emitter and a collector, said collector being a photosensitive element; b. combining said sample with one or more reagents to produce a labeled reaction product, wherein at least one of said one or more reagents is a substance capable of reacting with another assay reagent or the analyte to produce a labeled reaction product or signal that indicates the presence of the analyte and that is detectable by visual or instrumental means; c. retaining said labeled reaction product on said support medium; d. exposing said labeled reaction product and said support medium to said source of light whereby there is transmitted through said support medium a response light signal altered from the source of light by the presence of the labeled reaction product, the amount of said alteration of said response light signal by said labeled reaction product being an indication of the amount of analyte in said biological sample; e. measuring the intensity of the response light signal by generating a variable resistance signal that corresponds to the intensity of the response light signal, said variable resistance signal being measured by a measuring means comprising; (1) a capacitor network connected in series with the photosensitive element, said capacitor network comprising a capacitor, said capacitor network having a discharge cycle over a time cycled duration; (2) a power source coupled to the capacitor network and the photosensitive element and capable of charging the capacitor network; and (3) means for measuring the duration of the discharge cycle of the capacitor network through the resistance developed by the photosensitive element in response to the intensity of the response light signal, wherein the light intensity of the response light signal is related to the duration of the discharge cycle; and f. correlating the intensity of said response light signal to the amount of analyte in the sample. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification