Test device for detecting analytes in biological samples
DCFirst Claim
1. An analytical test device for detecting an analyte suspected of being present in a liquid biological sample selected from the group consisting of urine and serum, said device comprising:
- a) a hollow casing having a liquid biological sample application aperture and a test result observation aperture;
b) a bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member within said hollow casing to receive said liquid biological sample applied to said sample application aperture;
c) a test strip comprising a dry porous carrier within said casing and extending from said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member to and beyond said test result observation aperture, said dry porous carrier having a test result zone observable through said observation aperture;
at least one of said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member and said test strip containing upstream from said test result zone a labelled reagent capable of specifically binding with said analyte to form a first complex of said labelled reagent and said analyte;
said label being a particulate direct label wherein said labelled reagent is dry on said test strip prior to use and is released into mobile form by said liquid biological sample,wherein mobility of said labelled reagent within said test strip is facilitated by at least one of
1) coating at least a portion of said test strip upstream from said test result zone with, or
2) drying said labelled reagent onto a portion of said test strip upstream from said test zone in the presence of, a material comprising sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between said test strip and said labelled reagent;
said dry porous carrier containing in said test result zone a means for binding said first complex, said means for binding comprising specific binding means and being immobilized in said test result zone;
migration of said liquid biological sample from said bibulous sample receiving member into and through said dry porous carrier conveying by capillarity said first complex to said test result zone of said dry porous carrier whereat said binding means binds said first complex thereby to form a second complex;
said second complex being observable through said test result observation aperture, thereby to indicate the present of said analyte in said liquid biological sample.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An analytical test device useful for example in pregnancy testing, comprises a hollow casing (500) constructed of moisture-impervious solid material, such as plastics materials, containing a dry porous carrier (510) which communicates indirectly with the exterior of the casing via a bibulous sample receiving member (506) which protrudes from the casing such that a liquid test sample can be applied to the receiving member and permeate therefrom to the porous carrier, the carrier containing in a first zone a labelled specific binding reagent is freely mobile within the porous carrier when in the moist state, wherein the mobility is facilitated by a material comprising a sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between the test strip and the labelled reagent, and in a second zone spatially distinct from the first zone unlabelled specific binding reagent for the same analyte which unlabelled reagent is permanently immobilised on the carrier material and is therefore not mobile in the moist state, the two zones being arranged such that liquid sample applied to the porous carrier can permeate via the first zone into the second zone, and the device incorporating means, such as an aperture (508) in the casing, enabling the extent (if any) to which the labelled reagent becomes bound in the second zone to be observed. Preferably the device includes a removable cap for the protruding bibulous member.
536 Citations
64 Claims
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1. An analytical test device for detecting an analyte suspected of being present in a liquid biological sample selected from the group consisting of urine and serum, said device comprising:
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a) a hollow casing having a liquid biological sample application aperture and a test result observation aperture; b) a bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member within said hollow casing to receive said liquid biological sample applied to said sample application aperture; c) a test strip comprising a dry porous carrier within said casing and extending from said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member to and beyond said test result observation aperture, said dry porous carrier having a test result zone observable through said observation aperture; at least one of said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member and said test strip containing upstream from said test result zone a labelled reagent capable of specifically binding with said analyte to form a first complex of said labelled reagent and said analyte; said label being a particulate direct label wherein said labelled reagent is dry on said test strip prior to use and is released into mobile form by said liquid biological sample, wherein mobility of said labelled reagent within said test strip is facilitated by at least one of
1) coating at least a portion of said test strip upstream from said test result zone with, or
2) drying said labelled reagent onto a portion of said test strip upstream from said test zone in the presence of, a material comprising sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between said test strip and said labelled reagent;said dry porous carrier containing in said test result zone a means for binding said first complex, said means for binding comprising specific binding means and being immobilized in said test result zone; migration of said liquid biological sample from said bibulous sample receiving member into and through said dry porous carrier conveying by capillarity said first complex to said test result zone of said dry porous carrier whereat said binding means binds said first complex thereby to form a second complex; said second complex being observable through said test result observation aperture, thereby to indicate the present of said analyte in said liquid biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An analytical method for detecting an analyte suspected of being present in a liquid biological sample selected from the group consisting of urine and serum, which comprises utilizing an analytical test device comprising:
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providing an analytical test device having; a) a hollow casing having a liquid biological sample application aperture and a test result observation aperture; b) a bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member within said hollow casing to receive said liquid biological sample applied to said sample application aperture; c) a test strip comprising a dry porous carrier within said hollow casing and extending from said liquid biological sample receiving member to and beyond said test result observation aperture, said dry porous carrier having a test result zone observable through said observation aperture; said test strip containing in a first zone upstream from said test result zone a labelled reagent capable of specifically binding with said analyte to form a first complex of said labelled reagent and said analyte, said label being a particulate direct label wherein said labelled reagent is dry on said test strip prior to use and is released into mobile form by said liquid biological sample, wherein mobility of said labelled reagent within said test strip is facilitated by at least one of
1) coating at least a portion of said test strip upstream from said test result zone with, or
2) drying said labelled reagent onto a portion of said test strip upstream from said test zone in the presence of, a material comprising sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between said test strip and said labelled reagent;said carrier containing in said test result zone a means for binding said first complex, said means for binding comprising specific binding means and being immobilized in said test result zone; migration of said applied liquid biological sample from said bibulous sample receiving member into and through said dry porous carrier conveying by capillarity said first complex to said test result zone of said dry porous carrier whereat said binding means binds said first complex thereby to form a second complex; said second complex being observable through said test result observation aperture, thereby to indicate the presence of said analyte in said liquid biological sample; applying said liquid biological sample to said bibulous receiving member; permitting said liquid biological sample to convey by capillary action through said dry porous carrier via said first zone into said test result zone with said labelled reagent and detecting the presence of said analyte in said liquid biological sample by visually observing the presence of any labelled reagent bound in said test result zone. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An analytical test device for detecting an analyte suspected of being present in a liquid biological sample selected from the group consisting of urine and serum, said device comprising:
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a) a hollow casing having a liquid biological sample application aperture and a test result observation aperture; b) a bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member within said hollow casing to receive said liquid biological sample applied to said sample application aperture; c) a test strip comprising a dry porous carrier within said hollow casing and extending from said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member to and beyond said test result observation aperture, said dry porous carrier having a test result zone observable through said observation aperture; at least one of said bibulous liquid biological sample receiving member and said test strip containing upstream from said test result zone a labelled reagent capable of specifically binding with said analyte to form a first complex of said labelled reagent and analyte; said label being a particulate direct label which is dry prior to use of the device and is released into mobile form by said applied liquid biological sample, wherein mobility of said labelled reagent within said test strip is facilitated by at least one of
1) coating at least a portion of said test strip upstream from said test result zone with, or
2) drying said labelled reagent onto a portion of said test strip upstream from said test zone in the presence of, a material comprising sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between said test strip and said labelled reagent;said carrier containing in said test result zone a means for binding said first complex, said means for binding comprising specific binding means and being immobilized in said test result zone; (d) a control zone downstream from said test result zone in said dry porous carrier for binding labelled reagent to indicate that said applied liquid biological sample has been conveyed by capillarity beyond said test result zone, said hollow casing having a control zone observation window defined therein, whereby said control zone is observable from outside said hollow casing; (e) an absorbent sink at a distal end of said carrier, said sink having sufficient absorptive capacity to allow any unbound labelled reagent to wash out of said test result zone; migration of said applied liquid biological sample from said bibulous sample receiving member into and through said dry porous carrier conveying by capillarity said first complex to said test result zone of said dry porous carrier whereat said binding means binds said first complex thereby to form a second complex; said second complex being observable through said test result observation aperture, thereby to indicate the presence of said analyte in said applied liquid biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An analytical test device for detecting an analyte suspected of being present in a liquid biological sample, said device comprising:
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a) a hollow casing having a liquid biological sample application aperture and a test result observation aperture; b) a test strip comprising a dry porous carrier contained within said hollow casing, said carrier communicating directly or indirectly with the exterior of said hollow casing through said liquid biological sample application aperture to receive applied said liquid biological sample, said carrier having a test result zone observable through said test result observation aperture, said dry porous carrier comprising a strip or sheet of porous material backed with a layer of transparent moisture-impervious material, said transparent layer being in contact with the inside of said hollow casing adjacent said test result observation aperture to inhibit ingress of moisture or liquid biological sample, said test strip, in the dry unused state, containing upstream from said test result zone a labelled reagent capable of specifically binding with said analyte to form a first complex of said labelled reagent and said analyte, said label being a particulate direct label which is dry prior to the use of the device and is released into mobile form by said liquid biological sample, wherein mobility of said labelled reagent within said test strip is facilitated by at least one of
1) coating at least a portion of said test strip upstream from said test result zone with, or
2) drying said labelled reagent onto a portion of said test strip upstream from said test zone in the presence of, a material comprising sugar, in an amount effective to reduce interaction between said test strip and said labelled reagent;said carrier containing in said test result zone a means for binding said first complex, said means for binding comprising specific binding means and being immobilized in said test result zone; migration of said applied liquid biological sample through said dry porous carrier conveying by capillarity said first complex to said test result zone of said dry porous carrier whereat said binding means binds said first complex thereby to form a second complex; said second complex being observable through said test result observation aperture, thereby to indicate the presence of said analyte in said liquid biological sample. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification