Process for qualitative analysis or quantitation of antigens or antibodies

• US 3,905,767 A
• Filed: 01/30/1974
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David Alexander Nathaniel Morris, Melvin Dee Smith
• Original Assignee: David Alexander Nathaniel Morris, Melvin Dee Smith
• Inventors: Morris, David Alexander Nathaniel, Smith, Melvin Dee
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolk, Morris O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marantz, Sidney
• Application Number:
  US05/437,732
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 23/253TP,23B,253R 424/12 356/103 250/574 195/13.5R
• US Class Current: 436/515
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/82 producing a precipitate or turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/559 through a gel, e.g. Ouchterlony technique
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/808 Optical sensing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/805 Optical property

Abstract

A process for rapid qualitative analysis or quantitation of antigens or antibodies with an antigen-antibody reaction in which a precipitate is formed, which process comprises contacting a surface of a gel having a first reagent incorporated in at least a surface part thereof with a second reagent which is reactible with said first reagent to form a precipitate which remains in a surface portion of the gel, projecting a light beam through the area of contact and measuring the extent to which the light beam is scattered by the precipitate.

Claims

1. A PROCESS FOR RAPID QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS AND/OR QUANTITATION OF ANTIGENS OR ANTIBODIES WITH AN ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY REACTION IN WHICH A PRECIPITATE IS FORMED, THE PROCESS COMPRISING CONTACTING A SURFACE OF A GEL HAVING A FIRST REAGENT WHICH INCLUDES AN ATIGEN OR AN ANTIBODY INCORPORATED IN AT LEAST A SURFACE PART THEREOF WITH A SECOND REAGENT WHICH INCLUDES AN ANTIGEN OR AN ANTIBODY AND WHICH IS REACTIVE WITH SAID FIRST REAGENT TO FORM A PRECIPITATE WHICH REMAINS IN A SURFACE PORTION OF SAID GEL, PROJECTING A LIGHT BEAM THROUGH SAID SURFACE PORTION OF SAID GEL, MEASURING THE EXTEND TO WHICH SAID LIGHT BEAM IS SCATTED BY SAID PRECIPIATE, AND CORRELATING THE EXTENT TO WHICH SAID LIGHT BEAN IS SCATTERED TO ANALYTICAL DATA SOUGH,

2. The process of claim 1 in which said first reagent is an antigen and said second reagent is an antibody.

3. The process of claim 1 in which said first reagent is an antibody and said second reagent is an antigen.

4. The process of claim 1 in which said light beam is projected through said surface portion in a direction away from said gel surface.

5. The process of claim 1 in which said light beam is projected at an angle oblique to said surface of said gel.

6. The process of claim 1 including as additional steps projecting said light beam through a second surface portion of said gel which is free of said second reagent, and measuring the extent to which said light beam is scattered by said second surface portion, whereby the background scattering of a unitary device comprising a substrate and said gel is measured.

7. The process of claim 1 including as an additional step prior to contacting said surface with said second reagent, contacting a surface area of said gel with a third reagent reactible with said first reagent to inhibit subsequent formation by said first reagent of a precipitate in a surface portion of said gel adjacent said surface area when said surface area is contacted with said second reagent, whereby said third reagent may be qualitatively analyzed or quantitated according to the measured scattering of said light beam.

8. The process of claim 1 including as an additional step prior to contacting said surface with said second reagent, mixing with said second reagent a third reagent reactible with said first reagent to inhibit the subsequent formation thereby of a precipitate with said second reagent, whereby said third reagent may be qualitatively analyzed or quantitated according to the measured scattering of said light beam.

9. The process of claim 1 in which said gel is supported by and is in intimate contact with a substrate member.

10. The process of claim 9 in which said substrate member is transparent.

11. The process of claim 10 in which said light beam is first projected through said transparent substrate member and then through said surface portion of said gel.

12. The process of claim 9 in which said substrate member is a mirror which reflects toward said gel.

13. The process of claim 12 in which the reflective surface of said mirror is adjacent said gel.

14. The process of claim 12 in which the reflective surface of said mirror is the surface thereof opposite the surface therEof supporting said gel.