Patent ID: 9528985
Filing Date: 2016-12-27
CPC Classification: B01L,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method of detecting an analyte in a control or sample solution in a fluidic device, said device including a plurality of chambers separated by channels having an air-gap, comprising the steps of: contacting a sample solution in a first chamber of said device with magnetic particles, wherein said magnetic particles comprise a primary binding agent that binds to an analyte in the sample solution; and wherein the first chamber comprises two opposed parallel walls; moving the magnetic particles under the influence of a magnetic field from the first chamber and into a first channel having an air-gap therein, wherein the first channel comprises a lower wall which is aligned substantially transverse to the opposed parallel walls of the first chamber, and wherein an upper portion of one wall of the first chamber adjacent to the first channel transitions as a curve bending towards the lower wall of the first channel; moving the magnetic particles under the influence of the magnetic field across the air-gap in the first channel and into a second chamber comprising two opposed parallel walls, wherein an upper portion of one wall of the second chamber is adjacent to the first channel and is also substantially parallel where it meets the lower wall of the first channel, and wherein the second chamber contains a second solution comprising a detection binding agent which is capable of binding to the analyte or to the primary binding agent; removing unbound sample solution by passing the magnetic particles across the air-gap in the first channel; moving the magnetic particles under the influence of the magnetic field through a second channel and across the air-gap therein and into a third chamber, wherein the third chamber contains an indicator capable of generating a signal indicating the presence of the detection binding agent; removing unbound sample solution and second solution by passing the magnetic particles across the air-gap in the second channel; and detecting the signal, wherein the presence of signal indicates analyte in the sample solution and the intensity of signal correlates with the quantity of analyte in the sample solution; but wherein the magnetic particles are not moved to a wash chamber which contains solution capable of removing unbound reactants, as there is no such wash chamber in the fluidic device.