Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
283 words
A method for determining the presence of an analyte in a sample suspected of containing said analyte, said method employing: (A) an immunochromatograph having a porous support permitting solvent travel and a plurality of a specific binding pair member ("mip") and a second enzyme, which mip and second enzyme are non-diffusively and uniformly bound to said support and extend a distance away from a first end of said support to define an immunosorbing zone; and (B) a labeled mip, where said labeled mip is chosen to bind to said immunosorbing zone in relation to the portion of said immunosorbing zone in which said analyte is bound to define a border related to the amount of analyte present in said sample, said label being an enzyme which is part of a signal producing system including a first enzyme, wherein said first and second enzymes are related by the substrate of one being the product of the other, and which system produces a detectable signal of electromagnetic radiation defining said border; said method comprising: contacting said immunochromatograph: (1) at said first end with sample containing solvent for a time sufficient for at least a portion of said solvent to traverse said immunosorbing zone; and (2) with labeled mip containing solvent, where said labeled mip binds in said immunosorbing zone in relation to the analyte bound in said immunosorbing zone, and where steps (1) and (2) are concurrent or consecutive; and determining the border defined by said labeled mip by means of said signal producing system, by contacting said immunosorbing zone with the remaining members of said signal producing system, where the position of the border relates to the amount of analyte present in said sample.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
283 words
A method for determining the presence of an analyte in a sample suspected of containing said analyte, said method employing: (A) an immunochromatograph having a porous support permitting solvent travel and a plurality of a specific binding pair member ("mip") and a second enzyme, which mip and second enzyme are non-diffusively and uniformly bound to said support and extend a distance away from a first end of said support to define an immunosorbing zone; and (B) a labeled mip, where said labeled mip is chosen to bind to said immunosorbing zone in relation to the portion of said immunosorbing zone in which said analyte is bound to define a border related to the amount of analyte present in said sample, said label being an enzyme which is part of a signal producing system including a first enzyme, wherein said first and second enzymes are related by the substrate of one being the product of the other, and which system produces a detectable signal of electromagnetic radiation defining said border; said method comprising: contacting said immunochromatograph: (1) at said first end with sample containing solvent for a time sufficient for at least a portion of said solvent to traverse said immunosorbing zone; and (2) with labeled mip containing solvent, where said labeled mip binds in said immunosorbing zone in relation to the analyte bound in said immunosorbing zone, and where steps (1) and (2) are concurrent or consecutive; and determining the border defined by said labeled mip by means of said signal producing system, by contacting said immunosorbing zone with the remaining members of said signal producing system, where the position of the border relates to the amount of analyte present in said sample.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one enzyme is an oxidoreductase.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
23 words
A method according to any of claims 1, or 2, wherein said labeled mip and said sample are included in the same solvent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein said labeled mip traverses said immunosorbing zone at a slower rate than said analyte, so as to concentrate at about a border between an analyte containing region and an analyte free region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 3, where said determining includes the step of immersing said immunosorbing zone in a solution containing an enzyme substrate which is enzymatically transformed to a product capable of detection by electromagnetic radiation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein said product absorbs light in the visible range.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
275 words
A method for determining the presence of an analyte in a sample suspected of containing said analyte, said method employing: (A) an immunochromatograph having a porous support permitting solvent travel and non-diffusively and uniformly bound to said porous support a plurality of a specific binding pair member ("mip") and a plurality of a second enzyme, extending a distance away from the first end of said support to define an immunosorbing zone; and (B) a first enzyme labeled mip, where said first and second enzymes are related by the product of one enzyme being the substrate of the other enzyme and said labeled mip is chosen to bind to said immunosorbing zone in relation to the portion of said immunosorbing zone in which said analyte is bound to define a border related to the amount of analyte, and where said enzymes and a substrate which produces a dye which binds to said support are members of a signal producing system; said method comprising: contacting said immunochromatograph at said first end with a solution containing sample and first enzyme labeled mip for a time sufficient for at least a portion of said solution to traverse said immunosorbing zone, where said enzyme labeled mip binds in said immunosorbing zone in relation to the analyte bound in said immunosorbing zone; and containing said immunosorbing zone in a substrate containing solution resulting in depositing of said dye in the environs of said second enzyme on said support defining a region in which analyte is bound, wherein the distance the border of said region is from one end of said immunochromatograph is related to the amount of analyte in said sample.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
275 words
A method for determining the presence of an analyte in a sample suspected of containing said analyte, said method employing: (A) an immunochromatograph having a porous support permitting solvent travel and non-diffusively and uniformly bound to said porous support a plurality of a specific binding pair member ("mip") and a plurality of a second enzyme, extending a distance away from the first end of said support to define an immunosorbing zone; and (B) a first enzyme labeled mip, where said first and second enzymes are related by the product of one enzyme being the substrate of the other enzyme and said labeled mip is chosen to bind to said immunosorbing zone in relation to the portion of said immunosorbing zone in which said analyte is bound to define a border related to the amount of analyte, and where said enzymes and a substrate which produces a dye which binds to said support are members of a signal producing system; said method comprising: contacting said immunochromatograph at said first end with a solution containing sample and first enzyme labeled mip for a time sufficient for at least a portion of said solution to traverse said immunosorbing zone, where said enzyme labeled mip binds in said immunosorbing zone in relation to the analyte bound in said immunosorbing zone; and containing said immunosorbing zone in a substrate containing solution resulting in depositing of said dye in the environs of said second enzyme on said support defining a region in which analyte is bound, wherein the distance the border of said region is from one end of said immunochromatograph is related to the amount of analyte in said sample.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said dye is deposited primarily at said border.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said dye is deposited throughout said region in which analyte is bound.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said first and second enzymes are oxidoreductases.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said first enzyme is a peroxidase and said second enzyme produces hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 11, wherein said second enzyme is an oxidase.