Patent ID: 6224831
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: G01N,Y10S

Abstract:
A modular microassay device comprising an upper card assembly and a lower card assembly which can be combined to form a microassay card, wherein said upper card assembly is usable for any microassay card so long as imprinted instructions thereon are modified, and wherein said upper card assembly comprises several layers with concentric holes in each layer such that a test sample can be placed in the wells formed by the alignment of the concentric holes in the several layers of the upper card assembly, said layer comprising:(a) an imprintable label which may be absent if the subsequent layer is imprintable;(b) a plastic sheet;(c) a high tack, pressure-sensitive adhesive, wherein said adhesive is covered by a removable covering;and said lower card assembly, which can be used for assembly of any microassay card, comprises several layers, said layers comprising:(d) a plastic sheet with concentric holes that match those in said upper card assembly;(e) a semi-permeable membrane;(f) a superabsorbent material;(g) a plastic sheet with concentric holes that match those in said upper card assembly; and(h) a layer of test-substance-specific material, which has no holes, for interposition between said upper card and lower card assemblies prior to final assembly of the upper and lower card assemblies to form the complete microassay device.