Patent ID: 6825000
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
An immunoassay reagent for use in a quantitative determination of a target antigen or antibody present in a sample, said reagent consisting essentially of the following components:(a) an insoluble carrier which carries and is coupled to an enzyme and an antibody or antigen reactive with said target antigen or antibody, said insoluble carrier comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of an organic polymer powder particle, microorganism, blood cell and cell membrane fragment, said insoluble carrier being capable of aggregation; (b) an enzyme inhibitor for reacting with and inhibiting activity of said enzyme, said enzyme inhibitor being in a free state uncoupled to an antigen or antibody and being increasingly hindered from reacting with said enzyme when said insoluble carrier is increasingly agglutinated; and (c) a substrate for the enzyme capable of producing an optically detectable indication of reaction with the enzyme, wherein said substrate is not hindered from reacting with said enzyme when said enzyme is unreacted with said enzyme inhibitor when said insoluble carrier is increasingly aggregated, said components (a)-(c) being maintained separate and apart and mixed together only with a sample containing the target antigen or antibody.