Assay test system for regulating temperature

• US 6,338,969 B1
• Filed: 11/15/1999
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Shareef, Nazeer H., Zuidema, Jack L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siefke, Samuel P.
• Application Number:
  US09/440,075
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 422/58, 422/64, 435/4, 436/518, 436/169
• US Class Current: 436/518
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 7/00 Heating or cooling apparatus autoclaves B01J3/04; Heat insulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54388 based on lateral flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/558 using diffusion or migration of antigen or antibody immunochromatographic test strips G01N33/54387

Abstract

Disclosed is a dry assay device for carrying out immunochromatographic assays. The device involves an assay strip contained in the interior of a plastic cassette along with a thermally conductive material in thermal communication with the assay strip to more rapidly bring the strip'"'"'s temperature to that of the ambient.

Claims

1. In a dry assay device for determining the concentration of at least one analyte in a fluid test sample which device comprises a strip of absorbant material through which the test fluid can flow which strip has a first region containing specific binding partners for the analyte which are marked with a detectable label and a separate detection region for the labeled binding partners the improvement which comprises in combination a the strip within a hollow casing constructed of a fluid test sample impervious solid material having a top and a bottom which when mated provide a hollow chamber suitable for holding the strip, which chamber is in fluid communication with the exterior of the casing and which casing provides a pathway through which the detection region can be observed from outside the casing and contains a thermally conductive material in thermal communication with the strip of absorbant material.

2. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the thermally conductive material lies beneath and in physical contact with the strip of absorbant material.

3. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the casing is made of plastic.

4. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the thermally conductive material is a metal in the shape of a bar whose area approximates that of the strip of absorbant material.

5. The assay device of claim 4 wherein the metal is aluminum.

6. The assay device of claim 4 wherein the metal bar is about 1.2 mm thick.

7. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the absorbant strip is made of a bibulous material.

8. The assay device of claim 1 wherein the strip has a fluid test sample application zone which is free of reagent and a reagent containing region which is downstream from and in fluid communication with the reagent containing region.

9. The assay device of claim 3 wherein the plastic is high impact polystyrene, ABS or styrene.

10. A method of determining an analyte in a fluid test sample which comprises applying the fluid test sample to the first region of the strip of claim 1 and observing a detectable response in the detection region of the strip through the pathway.