Patent ID: 8486717
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. A test device for detecting an analyte in a liquid sample, which device comprises a plurality of reagent dots on a matrix, wherein at least two of said reagent dots do not overlap and are sufficiently spaced apart from each other so that when said liquid sample flows laterally along said matrix, flow of said liquid sample to, through and/or around one of said two reagent dots does not substantially affect flow of said liquid sample to, through and/or around said other reagent dot, each of said two reagent dots is neither a reagent line across the entire width of said matrix in a direction perpendicular to the direction of said liquid sample flow nor a complete circle of a reagent line, and after a liquid sample flows laterally along said test device and passes said at least two reagent dots, said at least two reagent dots form a predetermined pattern to indicate presence, absence and/or amount of said analyte in said liquid sample, wherein the plurality of reagent dots comprises the same binding reagent that is capable of binding to an analyte or another binding reagent that is capable of binding to the analyte, the plurality of reagent dots form a line that is substantially parallel to the liquid sample flow direction, as the liquid sample flows laterally along the test device, the analyte, if present in the liquid sample, becomes sequentially bound to the binding reagent at each of the reagent dots until the analyte is depleted by binding to the upstream reagent dot(s), the binding of the analyte to the reagent dot(s) generates a dateable signal at the reagent dot(s), and the intensity and/or the number of the dateable signal at the reagent dot(s) provides a quantitation or a semi-quantitation of the analyte in the liquid sample, and