METHOD AND DEVICE FOR RAPID DETECTION AND QUANTITATION OF MACRO AND MICRO MATRICES

摘要

The present invention provides a method and device for rapidly detecting the presence of analytes in a sample. Quantitative and qualitative measurements of analyte concentration in a sample may be rapidly obtained. A sample including the analyte and analyte metabolites produced by the analyte are introduced into a vessel that contains a reagent or reagents that have a detectable marker and rapidly bind to the analyte and to the metabolite. The sample is then introduced to an assay device that has a loading area, a separation and a reading area. The sample is introduced into the loading area of the assay device and moves to the reading area preferably by capillary action. The methodology permits for the detection of analytes and metabolites using means for the detecting the detectable marker. The sample may be subjected to a force application means for the controlled progressive fragmentation of any analyte, which is preferably a pathogen present in the sample, into a plurality of fragments. The sample is then introduced into a vessel that contains reagents having a detectable marker that rapidly bind to the fragments of the analyte(s) to which the assay is directed. The sample is then introduced to the assay device for detection of analyte fragments. An assay device having a test dot is printed on the reading portion. The test dot includes a bound reagent that is adapted to bind to analyte fragments of the analyte for which the assay is directed. Once the fragments are bound to the test dot, the presence of the analyte fragments in the test dot can be determined by methods known in the art. The test dot may alternatively include a bound reagent that is adapted to bind to analyte or other metabolites that are produced by an analyte which is a bacterium or other pathogen to which the test is directed. The reading portion may also have a section for gathering analyte labeled with detectable markers for visual detection. Background interference caused by laser diffraction is removed.