Membrane-supported immunoassays
First Claim
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1. A method to conduct an assay for an analyte in a sample, wherein the analyte binds to an affinity partner, which method comprises:
- drawing a volume of said sample by means of a pressure gradient through a membrane in which the affinity partner for the analyte is contained into a receiving chamber on which said membrane is mounted,wherein said pressure gradient is obtained by creating a partial vacuum in said receiving chamber, anddetecting the analyte bound in the membrane.
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Abstract
Improved, economical devices for immunoassays employ a reusable syringe or vacuum manifold to withdraw samples through a membrane containing an affinity partner for analyte. The devices can also be adapted to direct blood sampling and to automated assays.
77 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method to conduct an assay for an analyte in a sample, wherein the analyte binds to an affinity partner, which method comprises:
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drawing a volume of said sample by means of a pressure gradient through a membrane in which the affinity partner for the analyte is contained into a receiving chamber on which said membrane is mounted, wherein said pressure gradient is obtained by creating a partial vacuum in said receiving chamber, and detecting the analyte bound in the membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method to conduct an assay for analyte in two or more samples simultaneously wherein the analyte binds to an affinity partner, which method comprises:
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placing a volume of each sample in contact with one of a multiplicity of membranes in each of which the affinity partner for the analyte is contained, wherein each of said multiplicity of said membranes is mounted onto a common receiving chamber, and in a single operation withdrawing each sample by means of a pressure gradient applied as a partial vacuum in said receiving chamber through the membrane into said receiving chamber, and detecting the analyte bound in each membrane from each sample. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. An apparatus for the detection of analyte in a sample wherein the detection comprises reaction of said analyte with an affinity partner, which apparatus comprises:
a supported membrane containing said affinity partner, wherein said membrane is supported at the upper portion of a housing wherein said housing further includes means to attach said membrane to an orifice of a receiving chamber in which a partial vacuum can be created. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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26. A method to conduct an assay for analyte in a sample, wherein the analyte binds to a first affinity partner and wherein said binding is detected by reaction with a labeled second affinity partner, wherein at least one of said first and second affinity partners is specific for analyte, which method comprises:
drawing a volume of said sample by means of a pressure gradient through a porous support containing said labeled second affinity partner and through a membrane in which the first affinity partner is contained into a receiving chamber, wherein said pressure gradient is obtained by creating a partial vacuum in said receiving chamber.
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27. An apparatus for conducting an assay for analyte in a sample which comprises:
- a needle;
attached to a housing in which is supported a membrane containing an affinity partner for the analyte, which membrane is connected to a receiving chamber which includes a means of applying a pressure gradient through the needle and past the membrane into the chamber.
- a needle;
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28. An apparatus for conducting an assay for an analyte in a sample which comprises a means for applying a pressure gradient past a membrane in which a first affinity partner for the analyte is contained, into a receiving chamber and having upstream of said membrane a porous support containing a second affinity partner conjugated to label, wherein at least one of said first and second affinity partners is specific for analyte.
Specification