MULTILAYER ANALYSIS ELEMENT

Abstract: A dry type multilayer analysis element comprises at least one porous medium layer (50) comprising a membrane filter, to which an antigen (or antibody) is immobilized, and at least one reagent layer (20) through which a substance(s) which did not participate in an antigen-antibody reaction can permeate. The multilayer analysis element is effective for assaying components present in body fluids, blood, urine, etc., in a simple manner.

Description: This invention is directed to a multilayer analysis element which enables analysis of a component in a liquid sample, particularly a component present in a body fluid which causes an antigen-antibody reaction. To detect an antigen (or antibody) present in a body fluid, particularly in blood, for example, a passive agglutination reaction has widely been utilized in which a testing serum is reacted with animal-originated erythrocyte or latex particles, the surface of which has been sensitized with an antibody (or antigen). If an antigen (or antibody) is present in the testing serum, an antigen-antibody reaction results to cause agglutination; by formation of an agglutination product, antigen (or antibody) contained in the testing serum is detectable. However, in a passive agglutination reaction the serum being tested should be serially diluted and measurement of the titer is performed by a dilution multiple of the limit at which agglutination occurs; this method involves complicated dilution operations and provides merely a semi-quantitative assay. On the other hand, methods using an antibody (or antigen) labelled with a radioisotope or an enzyme (RIA or EIA) have been utilized. However, these immunoassay methods encounter problems that they require long periods of time (from several hours to several ten hours) for the antigen-antibody reaction, physical separation of a complex formed based on an antigen-antibody reaction from the unbound antigen (or antibody) is necessary and these methods involves many operational steps. Multilayer analysis elements for analyzing a component in body fluids are known and as prior art relating thereto, there are, for example, JP-B-21677/78, 13719/78, 40191/76, 3488/77, 89796/78 and 131089/78. However, these all relate to techniques for the chemical analysis of components in blood. Further, techniques for analyzing components which participate in an immune reaction in blood are disclosed in JP-A-90859/80 and EP-A-0013156. The invention disclosed in these prior art is characterized in that thermally stable organic polymer particles are bonded to an adhesive comprising an organic polymer different from the aforesaid polymer particles at their points of contact and the thus prepared three-dimensional lattice structure is employed as a porous layer, which may contain an immobilized substance capable of causing a competitive antigen-antibody reaction and be combined with a reagent layer. The lattice structure of the porous layer must be water-impermeable and non swellable in order to provide for the desired transporting and metering functions of this known analysis element. However it is extremely difficult and also expensive to prepare such a structure which is stable. Further, US-A-4,168,146 discloses immunoassay involving a diagnostic test strip consisting of a porous, capillary-possessing carrier material to which antibodies are covalently bound. This method utilizes the capillary force of the porous carrier material for allowing antigens to migrate so that a considerably long period of time is required for analysis. Another disadvantage is the chromatographic effect of this material which results in extensive and extremely non-uniform migration of sample liquid to provide high local concentrations of chemicals. An object of this invention is to provide a multilayer analysis element which eliminates the foregoing drawbacks and can be easily prepared. Another object of this invention is to provide a multilayer analysis element which enables one to analyze a component having antigenicity or an antibody present in body fluids, particularly blood, serum, urine, etc., in an extremely short time and in a very simple manner. As a result of various investigations to reach the above objects, the inventors have found that the problem underlying the invention is solved with a multilayer analysis element comprising at least one porous medium layer having immobilized therein a substance capable of causing a competitive antigen-antibody reaction and at least one reagent layer, which is characterized in that said porous medium layer (50) is composed of at least one member with a pore size of 0.2 to 20 µm selected from the group consisting of a textile, a non-woven fabric and water permeable paper, is water-permeable and rendered hydrophilic and uniformly absorbs and spreads a liquid sample, said substance being an antibody or antigen predominantly affixed to the inner walls of said porous medium, or when fibers are used, predominantly within the porous medium on the surface of the fibers, and that said reagent layer (20) is permeable to a substance which did not undergo the antigen-antibody reaction and comprises a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance as a binder selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium polyacrylate, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, copolymers containing acrylic acid and copolymers containing maleic acid. The term "immobilization" used herein refers to fixation of a substance capable of causing an antigen-antibody reaction (e.g., antibody) through a covalent bond, viz., the substance capable of causing an antigen-antibody reaction is predominantly affixed to the inner walls of the porous medium and when fibers are used, fixation predominantly occurs within the porous medium on the surfaces of the fibers. An important feature of this invention is that the immobilization occurs in the interior of the porous medium layer. Figure 1 is a schematic cross sectional view of a multilayer analysis element comprising a light permeable support 10 having provided thereon, in order, a reagent layer 20 and a porous medium layer 50 to which an antibody (or antigen) has been immobilized. Figure 2 is a schematic cross sectional view of a multilayer analysis element comprising the reagent layer 20 and the porous medium layer 50, an adhesive layer 40 being provided therebetween. Figure 3 is a schematic cross sectional view of a multilayer analysis element having a structure such that a light shielding layer is provided between the reagent layer 20 and the porous medium layer 50 of the multilayer analysis element having the structure shown in Figure 1 and a spreading layer 60-for uniform spreading of an aqueous sample solution-is further provided on the porous medium layer 50. In Figures 1 through 3, the numerals represent: 10: the light transmitting water impermeable support 20: the reagent layer 30: the radiation blocking layer 40: the adhesive layer 50: the porous medium layer 60: the spreading layer The multilayer analysis element of this invention can have any shape so long as it is suitable for analysis, but a sheet-like or film-like shape is generally preferred. The multilayer analysis element of this invention can be employed, for example, as described below. An antigen (or antibody) to be analyzed or quantitatively measured which is contained in a sample is labelled in a conventional manner with a labelling substance and a predetermined or given amount of the labelled substance is mixed with the sample. The mixture is dropped onto a porous medium layer of the multilayer analysis element and reacted with an antibody (or antigen) immobilized in the multilayer analysis element. The antigen (or antibody) in the sample competitively reacts with the antibody (or antigen) immobilized in the multilayer analysis element to form a complex. Excess or unreacted antigen (or antibody) is inherently separated from the complex and diffused into the reagent layer. Unreacted (or excess) labelled antigen (or antibody) is optical measured as it is or after a color forming reaction with a reagent(s) which are chosen depending upon the labelling substance used; thus the antigen (or antibody) being measured is quantitatively determined. The multilayer analysis element may comprise a support. In this case, the multilayer analysis element comprises the aforesaid two layers, in the following order going toward the support: (a) a porous medium layer as defined above which can uniformly absorb and spread therein a liquid sample and, at the same time, immobilized an antibody (or antigen) capable of causing an antigen-antibody reaction with an antigen (or antibody) in the liquid sample and permits unreacted antigen (or antibody) to diffuse or transport throught pores; and (b) a reagent layer as defined above which permits optical measurement of labelled antigen (or antibody) which did not participate in the antigen-antibody reaction layer in layer (a) described above. A labelled antigen (or antibody)-the antigen (or antibody) being the same as an antigen (or antibody) in the liquid sample to be analyzed-together with the liquid sample is caused to undergo a competitive antigen-antibody reaction with the antibody (or antigen) immobilized in the porous medium layer (a) mentioned layer, unreacted (or excess) antigen (or antibody) is permitted to diffuse from the porous medium layer described above into the reagent layer and remain in the reagent layer-if necessary, being reactif with a reagent(s) additionally incorporated in the reagent layer, depending upon the labelling substance, to form a color. The multilayer analysis element of this invention can be easily prepared by adhering a porous material of sheet-like or ribbon-like form as a porous medium layer-in which an antibody (or antigen) is immobilized-to a support having coated thereon a reagent layer, or by coating a blushed polymer layer as disclosed in JP-B-21677/78 and US-A-3,992,158 followed by drying. It is preferred that the porous material possess voids of about 20 to 90%, preferably 50 to 90%, while void percentage varies depending upon the kind of the porous material, pore size, and flow rate of a liquid required for analysis. Porous materials having various pore sizes of 0.2 to 20 µm can be appropriately chosen depending on kind of analyte. For example, in the case that analytes are low molecular weight substances such as insulin, drugs, etc. (these have a molecular weight of from about 400 to 10,000), porous materials having a relatively small pore size are preferably used; if analytes have relatively high molecular weight as in immunogloblins (molecular weight of which is about 160,000) or albumin (molecular weight of which is about 75,000), porous materials having a relatively large pore size. As porous materials described above,textiles (fabrics that are woven or knitted), non-woven fabrics more closely joined each other by chemical treatment or heating of fibers per se or fibers adhered to each other using an adhesive) and water permeable paper are employed. As textiles which can be employed in the porous medium layer, there are a wide variety of textiles; of these textiles, a plain weave which is formed by weaving warp and weft yarns alternately is preferably used. As for the warp and weft which compose such a plain weave, a desirable count ranges from 20 to 120. Among plain-woven textiles, cotton fabrics of the type termed close cloth, canequim, broadcloth and poplin are preferably employed. In addition to other natural fibers woven in the same manners as the above described cotton fabrics (e.g., kapok, flax, hemp, ramie, and silk), fabrics obtained by weaving mixed yarns of chemical (e.g., viscose rayon, cuproammonium rayon, cellulose acetate, vinylon, and polyethylene terephthalate and fabrics obtained by weaving chemical fiber yarns in the same manner as in the above described cotton fabrics can also be employed. The fibers described above can be used in the porous medium layer in the form of non-woven fabrics molded into a cloth shape, not in the textile form. A wide variety of papers can be employed as paper suited for the porous medium layer so long as they are water permeable; however, paper having a lesser moisture content herein is preferred and paper having relatively long and thin fibers is also preferred. Particularly preferred is paper to which an immersion treatment or a compressing treatment is subjected so as to remove moisture content as less as possible. A filter paper of thin and fine tissues can be particularly preferably used. A filter paper to which a compressing treatment is subjected or which is rendered hydrophilic by immersing the same into-a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance solution to thereby reduce a moisture content is particularly preferred. Further, finished paper such as parchment paper, wax paper, etc. can also be employed for the porous medium layer. Indian paper or Japanese paper such as paper made of paper mulberry or Kozo, Mitsumata, are also utilizable. Examples of water permeable paper which can be employed in the porous medium layer of this invention include not only paper made of natural cellulose but also synthetic paper (made of, e.g., polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene or polypropylene) obtained by paper-making fibers of synthetic high molecular weight substances-which possesses water permeability-, asbestos, glass fiber filter paper or silica made into a paper form. It is preferred that the porous medium layer have a layer thickness of 50 µm to 1 mm; preferably 50 to 200 µm when membrane filter is employed, 100 to 500 µm when textiles or non-woven fabrics are used and, 200 to 800 µm when water permeable paper is used. With regard to the multilayer analysis element of this invention, the structure and materials thereof are more specifically described below. Representative examples of layer structures in specific embodiments of the: multilayer analysis elements of this invention are shown in Figures 1 through 3. The multilayer analysis element shown in Figure 1 comprises the support 10 having laminated thereon, in succession farthest from to the support, the porous medium layer 50 on which a liquid sample can be spread and which can immobilize therein an antibody (or antigen) capable of causing a specific antigen-antibody reaction with an antigen (or antibody) present in the liquid sample and allows unreacted or excess antigen (or antibody) to diffuse to the reagent layer 20 which permits optical measurement of the unreacted antigen (or antibody) diffused from the aforesaid porous medium layer. The multilayer analysis element shown in Figure 2 has a structure where adhesive layer 40 functioning principally to strengthen adhesion force and comprising a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance is provided to adhere reagent layer 20 to the porous medium layer 50. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a basic layer structure of a multilayer analysis element of this invention which comprises a support 10 having laminated thereon, in succession, a reagent layer 20, a radiation blocking layer 30, a porous medium layer 50 and a spreading layer 60. When a drop of an aqueous solution obtained by mixing a liquid sample containing an antigen (or antibody) to be quantitatively analyzed and a known amount of a labelled antigen (or antibody)which antigen (or antibody) is the same as the foregoing antigen (or antibody)-is spotted on the spreading layer 60, the drop is substantially uniformly spread over the spreading layer and then transported into the porous medium layer 50. While causing a competitive antigen-antibody reaction with an antibody (or antigen) immobilized in the porous medium layer, the antigen (or antibody) in the liquid sample and the added labelled antigen (or antibody) are competitively reacted therewith to bind with the porous medium layer. Unreacted antigen (or antibody) passes through radiation blocking layer 30 to diffuse into reagent layer 20. Through this process, the antigen-bound antibody is inherently separated from the unbound matters. In the case that a labelling substance is optically detectable, measurement is optically performed by reflection from the side of support 10; in this case, interference due to the labelling substance bound to the porous medium layer is eliminated by radiation blocking layer 30. In the case that the labelling substance cannot be optically detected as it is, optical measurement can be effected after a color-forming reaction with a reagent(s) contained in the reagent layer. Depending upon the purpose and the accuracy required, analysis can be made with the naked eye, not by optical measurement. For easier understanding, this invention will be explained in detail, taking as an example the multilayer analysis element having a structure as shown in Figure 1 and where appropriate, adding an explanation of functional layers additionally provided in the multilayer analysis element as shown in Figure 2 or 3. It is necessary that porous medium layer 50 have a great number of pores having a diameter of 0.2 to 20 µm. In more detail, in order to immobilize, e.g., an antibody and enable binding, e.g., IgG (antibody) having a molecular weight of several hundred thousands and to permit free permeation of an antigen having a molecular weight of from several hundred to several hundred thousands, it is preferred that the diameter of a pore be larger than 0.2 µm; this lower limit of a pore diameter is also set forth for the reason that a sample liquid, when it is spotted onto the element, is easily permeated into the porous medium layer in a short period of time. On the other hand, in order that a liquid sample be more uniformly spread therein, it is preferred that the diameter of a pore be smaller than 20 µm. As the porous medium layer, the aforesaid, textiles, non-woven fabrics and paper are employed. As examples of processes for rendering fabrics hydrophilic, mention may be made of a process in which commercially produced fabrics are washed and rinsed thoroughly with water to remove starch and other processing materials therefrom and optionally they are further dipped with from 1 to 5% aqueous solutions of surface active agents; a process in which surface active agents are made to incorporate into fabrics in proportion of 0.1 to 10% per unit weight of fabric by spraying aqueous solutions of surface active agents onto the fabrics to wet them and then by drying them; and so on Therein any types of water-soluble surface active agents, namely, nonionic, cationic, anionic and amphoteric agents, can be used. However, nonionic surface active agents such as alkylaryl ethers of polyoxyethylene and polyglycerine, fatty acid esters thereof, sorbitol esters thereof and the like are particularly preferable to other types of surface active agents from the standpoint that the nonionic ones cause hemolysis to much less extents. In another type of the process for rendering fabrics hydrophilic, fabrics are wet with hydrophilic polymer solutions, which may contain fine powders such as titanium oxide barium sulfate and the like and wetting agents such as glycerine, polyethylene glycol and the like, in addition to hydrophilic polymers such as gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol and the like, and then dried. Hydrophilic polymers are incorporated in fabrics in proportion of from about 0.05 to 10% by weight and preferably from about 0.1 to 5% by weight per unit weight of fabric. These processes for rendering fabrics hydrophilic can be performed with reference to techniques described in, e.g., US-A-3,360,448, JP-B-5332/70, 2603/68 and 2604/68. A pore size of such porous media can be controlled by a treatment rendering a porous material hydrophilic using a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance aqueous solution containing finely divided powders of titanium oxide, barium sulfate, etc, or wetting agents such as glycerine, polyethylene glycol, etc. By controlling a pore size, a rate of diffusion of unreacted antigen (or antibody) into the reagent layer can be controlled, Such results in good reproducibility. Immobilization of an antibody (or antigen) in the porous medium layer can be effected using a polyfunctional cross linking agent by chemically linking one of the functional groups of the cross linking agent to a functional group of the porous medium layer and chemically linking the other functional group of the cross linking agent to the antibody (or antigen) in a conventional manner, e.g., as described in Methods in Enzymology edited by K. Mososhack, vol. 44, subtitled "Immobilization of Enzyme", published by Academic Press (1976), S. J. Gutcho, Immobilized Enzymes , subtitled "Preparation and Engineering Techniques", published by Noyesdata Co., Ltd. (1974), and Koteika Koso (Immobilized Enzyme), published by Kodansha Publishing Co., Ltd. (1975), pages 10 -44, which are hereby incorporated by reference. In more detail, various conventional methods are applicable to immobilization of an antibody (or antigen) in the porous medium layer; for example, a glutaraldehyde cross linking method as described in Avrameas et al., Immunochemistry , vol. 8, pages 1175-1179 (1971), a maleimide cross linking method as described in T. Kitagawa et al., J. Biochem. , vol. 79, pages 233-236 (1976), an isocyanate cross linking method as described in D. Clyne et al., J. Histochem. Cytochem. , vol. 21, pages 233-240 (1973). For example, in the case where the porous medium layer contains a polysaccharide such as cellulose, cyanogen halides or cyanuric halides can be employed as the polyfunctional cross linking agent, In the case that a carboxy group is present in materials of the porous medium layer, water soluble carbodiimides, isoxazolium salts, etc, can be employed; in the case that an amino group is present, dialdehydes, diisocyanates dithioisocyanates, imide esters, disulfonyl chlorides, disujfonyl chlorides, halonitrobenzenes, etc. can be employed. The materials used for the porous medium layer are, textiles, non-woven fabrics and water permeable paper, which are mainly cellulose and derivatives thereof (cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cetyl methyl cellulose, etc,); thus, cyanogen halides such as cyanogen bromide, cyanogen chloride, cyanogen iodide, cyanuric halides such as cyanuric chloride, cyanuric bromide, etc., are employed as polyfunctional cross linking agents used for immobilizing an antibody (or antigen). Of these polyfunctional cross linking agents, cyanogen bromide and cyanuric chloride are particularly preferred. Reaction of, a textile, a non-woven fabric or water permeable paper with cyanogen bromide can be performed in accordance with the process as described in Experiment and Application, Affinity Chromatography , Ichiro Chihata, Tetsuya Tosa and Yushi Matsuo, pages 37 to 39, published by Kodansha Publishing Co., Ltd. (1976), R. Axen et al., / Nature, vol. 214, pages 1302-1304 (1967). To immobilize an antibody (or antigen) in the porous medium layer, a polyvalent amine or an ammo acid can be used as a spacer therebetween without directly linking the antibody (or antigen) to the cyanogen bromide or cyanuric chloride linked to the porous medium layer. After reacting cyanogen bromide or cyanuric chloride with the porous medium layer, a 0.1 to 0.5M aqueous polyvalent amine or amino acid solution is reacted with the reaction product. Thereafter, glutaraldehyde is reacted with the resulting product and then an antibody (or antigen) is linked thereto. The reaction is generally carried out at 37°C for 30 to 90 mins. under normal pressure. As polyvalent amines, diamines having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably 6 carbon atoms, such as 1,6-diaminohexane, 1,8-diaminooctane, 1,10-diaminodecane, etc. can be employed. Amino acids having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, particularly 6 carbon atoms, are preferably used and are exemplified by glutamine, alginine, lysine, hydroxylysine, etc. Details of methods using such spacers are described in, e.g., P. O'carra et al., Biochemical Society Trans. , vol. 1, pages 289-290 (1973). An adhesive layer can be used as a structural auxiliary layer to exhibit the function of improving adhesion between the porous medium layer and the reagent layer, radiation blocking layer or support, etc. As the adhesive layer. hydrophilic high molecular weight substances such as agarose, polyacrylamide, sodium polyacrylate, copolymers containing acrylic acid, etc. are employed. The porous medium layer is adhered to the adhesive layer by the application of pressure before the hydrophilic polymer of the adhesive layer is dried, or after the hydrophilic polymer is wet with water or an aqueous solution of a surface active agent. The thickness of the adhesive layer generally ranges from about 0.5 to about 15 µm, preferably from 0.5 to 5 µm. The porous medium layer can also be adhered to the reagent layer or the radiation blocking layer by application of pressure after the hydrophilic high molecular weight polymer used in the reagent layer or the radiation blocking layer is wet with water or an aqueous solution of a surface active agent as above described without providing any particular adhesive layer. Analysis of a component for immune reaction using the multilayer analysis element of this invention is based upon the principle that a labelled and unlabelled antigen (or antibody) is bound to a specific antibody (or antigen) by a competitive reaction and the concentration of unbound labelled antigen (or antibody) is measured. As labelling methods which make detection of a known amount of an antigen (or antibody) possible, there are methods which rely on optical detection, methods which utilize a radioisotope, methods using magnetic measurement, etc.; of these, the optical method is excellent in that anybody can handle the simple devices involved. Methods which rely on optical detection are performed by chemically linking a fluorescent substance, a dye or a dye precursor to an antigen (or antibody), or by linking an enzyme to an antigen (or antibody) and then forming a dye or a fluorescent substance by enzyme reaction in the reagent layer. Labelling of an antigen (or antibody) with an enzyme can be performed in accordance with the methods described in Eiji Ishikawa, Tadashi Kawai and Kiyoshi Miyai, Enzyme Immunoassay, published by Igaku Shoin (1978), A. Voller et al., The Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay, published by Flowing Publications, Guerney, Europe (1977). Fluorescein-labelling can be performed by the methods described in Tadashi Kawai, Series of Clinical Test Technology, vol. 4, subtitled "Immunoserological Test", pages 97-102, published by Igaku Shoin (1977) and EP-A-0013156. Dyes and leuco dyes can be linked to an antigen (or antibody) in a manner similar to that using an enzyme. As enzymes for labelling, peroxidase, β-D-galactosidase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or the like can be used. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate (TMRITC), etc., can be used for fluorescence labelling. Any dyes for labelling can be employed so long as the dyes are water soluble and have relatively small molecular weight, such dyes are described in Handbook of Dyes ; in more detail, merocyanine dyes as described in US-A-2,493,748, 2,519,001 and 2,652,330 cyanine dyes as described in US-A-2,238,213, 2,503,776, 2,537,880, 3,196,017 and 3,397,060, DE-B-1,177,482, GB-B-904,332, JP-B-14112/65 and 23467/65. Dye precursors can also be used and are not particularly limited, but leuco dyes as are used in pressure sensitive recording materials and/heat sensitive recording materials, are generally employed. The reagent layer usually provided under the porous medium layer contains portions of an interactive immune assay composition for optical detection and exhibits the function of receiving unreacted antigen (or antibody) diffused from the porous medium layer and converting the same into an optically detectable product therein. Thus, in the reagent layer, the labelled antigen (or antibody) which is not linked to the porous medium layer but which has diffused into the reagent layer is optically detected. In the reagent layer, a membrane filter, textiles, non-woven fabrics and paper, as used in the porous medium layer, can be employed and the labelled antigen (or antibody) can be freely diffused therethrough from the porous medium layer. In the reagent layer, a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance is used as a binder, selected from the group consisting of natural hydrophilic high molecular weight substances such as gelatin, agarose, sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, and of hydrophilic synthetic high molecular weight substances such as polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium polyacrylate, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, copolymers containing acrylic acid (e.g., N-butylacrylate-acrylic acid copolymer) and copolymers containing maleic acid (e.g., maleic anhydridemethyl vinyl ether copolymer). In the case that a labelled antigen (or antibody) has a molecular weight of several hundred thousands, e.g., such as IgG, agarose, polyacrylamide, sodium polyacrylate and copolymers containing acrylic acid are particularly preferred. When fluorescein or a dye is employed as a labelling substance, it is optically detectable in the reagent layer as it is and no particular reagent is required in the reagent layer. Examples of useful dyes are rhodamine, etc. When a leuco dye, e.g., a leuco dye used for pressure sensitive recording paper or heat sensitive recording paper, is employed as a labelling substance, an acidic substance such as acid clay is dispersed in a binder and the dispersion is coated on a support to form a reagent layer; a leuco dye-labelled antigen (or antibody) which is diffused into the reagent layer forms a color therein, whereby optical measurement is permitted. In the case that an enzyme is used as a labelling substance, the reagent layer is formed by dispersing enzyme substrate (which is specifically recognized and attacked by the enzyme) and a reducible dye precursor-which forms a dye as a result of enzyme reaction-or a fluorescent substance precursor-which releases a fluorescent substance by the attack of enzyme-in a hydrophilic polymer and then coating the dispersion on a support. When the labelling enzyme is, e.g., peroxidase, the reagent layer can be formed (if desired or necessary in double layer form) by dispersing glucose, glucose oxidase (to generate peroxide from glucose), 4-aminoantipyrine and 1,7-dihydroxynaphthalene (reduced dye precursor which is oxidized in the presence of peroxide and peroxidase) in gelatin, agarose or polyacrylamide, etc., and coating the dispersion on a support. Further, in the case that the labelling enzyme is β-D-galactosidase, 4-methylumbelliferyl-(β-D-galactopyranoside is dispersed in a hydrophilic polymer and a layer is formed on a support therefrom. For purposes of improving various efficiencies such as coating efficiency, diffusibility of diffusible compounds, reactivity, preservability, etc., surface active agents, pH controlling agents, finely divided powders, antioxidants and other additives comprising organic or inorganic compounds can also be incorporated into the reagent layer. By inserting a radiation blocking layer between the porous medium layer and the reagent layer, participation of the fluorescein-labelled or dye-labelled antigen (or antibody) linked to the porous medium layer in optical measurement can be eliminated. The radiation blocking layer can also eliminate interference based upon erythrocyte or hemoglobin in the case of using whole blood. The radiation blocking layer is formed by dispersing finely divided white powders such as finely divided TiO₂ or BaSO₄, generally in an amount of 1 to 25 wt% (based on binder weight) in a hydrophilic high molecular weight binder and forming a layer having a tickness of 1 to 50 µm, preferably 2 to 20 µm. The radiation blocking layer can also be prepared by dispersing 0.5 to 20 wt% of finely divided carbon black in a hydrophilic high molecular weight binder as above and forming a layer having a thickness of 1 to 50 µm. In this fashion, interference in the case of using a colored labelled antigen (or antibody) linked to the porous medium layer or whole blood can be similarly eliminated. A porous medium layer of a black color can be formed by immersing a porous medium in a dispersion of carbon black in an aqueous solution of a hydrophilic high molecular weight (ca. 20,000 to 100,000) substance such as gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol, etc.; in this case, it is unnecessary to provide a radiation blocking layer. In place of carbon black, finely divided TiO₂, BaSO₄, etc., can also be employed. Carbon black is generally employed in the range of from 2 to 40 wt% based on the hydrophilic high molecular weight substance. It is a novel concept to use carbon black for a porous medium layer or a radiation blocking layer for the purpose of radiation blocking. By the use of a layer dyed with a dye absorbing the excitation light of a fluorescent substance used for labelling or with a dye having the same absorption wavelength as is used for labelling as the radiation blocking layer, interference with the labelled antigen (or antibody) can be similarly eliminated. Excitation wavelength is inherently determined depending upon the kind of a dye used; if fluorescein is used, its excitation wavelength is about 490 nm. As the uppermost layer of the multilayer analysis element of this invention, a liquid sample spreading layer 50 (hereafter simply referred to as a spreading layer) can optionally be provided. The spreading layer has the effect of uniformly spreading a liquid sample dropped onto the multilayer analysis element. In the case that the porous medium layer is composed of a membrane filter and whole blood is used as a liquid sample, the spreading layer is particularly effective for uniformly spreading the liquid sample. As the spreading layer, fabrics which have been rendered hydrophilic are employed. Fabrics which are rendered hydrophilic includes fabrics that have been thoroughly cleaned and rinsed with water to defat followed by drying and fabrics that are, after cleaning and rinsing with water to defat, immersed in a small amount of a surface active agent, a wetting agent, a hydrophilic polymer or a dispersion of finely divided powders of TiO₂ or BaSO₄ in a hydrophilic polymer. Fabrics which are rendered hydrophilic for use as a spreading layer and details thereof are described in Japanese Patent Application OPI 164356/80 and following the description thereof, these are useful in this invention. The thickness of the spreading layer ranges from 50 to 500 µm, preferably about 80 to about 300 µm in the case of using non-fibrous isotropically porous (porous in all directions) materials; in the case of using fabrics after hydrophilicity treatment and drying ranges from about 80 µm to about 1 mm, preferably 100 to 400 µm. Supports used for the multilayer analysis element of this invention are not particularly limited but it is preferred that the supports possess light-transmitting capability and, be water impermeable. Specific examples of light-transmitting and water impermeable supports include plastic films such as polyethylene terephthalate, cellulose esters (cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, etc.), polycarbonate, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, etc., or a glass plate. Known transparent supports having a thickness of from about 50 µm to about 2 mm can be used. As supports for the multilayer analysis element in which an antigen (or antibody) labelled with a fluorescent substance is employed, it is desirable to employ a material which exhibits a low degree of fluorescence emission and is transparent to excitation wavelength. Examples of preferred supports are polycarbonate, cellulose esters, polystyrene, etc. In the case that a support is hydrophobic and has poor adhesion to the hydrophilic binder of the reagent layer, known treatments to render the surface of the support hydrophilic (e.g., ultraviolet irradiation, electron irradiation, flame treatment, hydrolysis with an alkali, plasma treatment, glow discharge treatment, etc.), provision of a subbing layer having an appropriate adhesive force to the hydrophilic binders of both the,support and the reagent layer on the surface of the support, formation of minute uneven areas (brushing, electrolytic etching, etc.) at the surface of the support to a degree such that light transmittance is not significantly decreased, etc., can be performed. A liquid sample containing an unknown amount of an antigen (or antibody) to be analyzed and a known amount of a labelled antigen (or antibody) are competitively reacted with an antibody (or antigen) immobilized in the multilayer analysis element; in this case, the labelled antigen (or antibody) can be competitively employed with an unknown amount of the antigen (or antibody) per the following methods. (1) A liquid sample containing an unknown amount of an antigen (or antibody) is mixed with a known amount of a solution of a labelled antigen (or antibody) and the mixture is applied to the multilayer analysis element. (2) A liquid sample containing an unknown amount of an antigen (or antibody) and a solution of a labelled antigen (or antibody) are successively applied to the multilayer analysis element. (3) A labelled antigen (or antibody) is previously adsorbed onto the spreading layer and designed so as to release the same upon the application of a liquid sample. Analytes which can be quantitatively determined using the multilayer analysis element in accordance with this invention include a wide variety of substances such as peptide hormones such as hypothalamus hormones (e.g., TRH, LH-RH, somatostatin), hypophysis hormones (e.g., growth hormone, ACTH, α-MSH, (β-MSH, lipotropin, prolactin, TSH, TSH-β, LH, LH-β, FSH, FSH-β, α-subnit, arginine vasopressin, lysine vasopressin, oxytocin), calcium metabolism regulating hormones (e.g., insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, glucagon), digestive tract hormones (e.g., gastrin, secretin, pancreozymin, cholecystokinin, GIP, enteroglucagon), hormones acting on blood vessels (e.g., angiotensin I, angiotensin II, bradykinins), placenta hormones (e.g., human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), hCG-β, human chorionic somatomammotropin, human chorionic thyrotropin), non-peptide hormones such as steroids (e.g., cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol, 11-deoxycroticosterone, progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, pregnenolone, aldosterone, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estradiol, estriol, estrone, 2-hydroxyestrone, dehydroepiandrosterone), thyroid hormones (e.g., thyroxin, 3,5,3′-triiodothyronin, 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronin), prostaglandins (e.g., prostaglandin A, E, F); substances other than hormones such as drugs (e.g., digoxin, digitoxin, morphine, LSD, gentamycin, amphetamine, nicotine), cyclic nucleotides (e.g., cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, cyclic IMP, cyclic UMP), enzymes (e.g., C₁ esterase, fructose 16-diphosphatase , alkaline phosphatase, dopamine beta hydroxylase, pepsinogen), virus specific antigens (e.g., hepatitis B virus, murine sarcomaleukemia virus, wooly monkey leukemia virus, avian tumor virus, plant virus, avian C-type virus), tumor antigens (e.g., α-fetoprotein, CEA), blood serum proteins (e.g., thyroxin binding globulin (TBG), IgG, IgM, IgE, IgA, α₂-microglobulin, properdin, anti-Rh antibodies, transferrin, aplipoprotein, fibrinogen degradation products, antihaemolytic factor, renin); rheumatism factor, folic acid, neurophysin, somatomedin B, nerve growth factor, epidermal growth factor, staphylococcal enterotoxin A and B, type A toxin of chlostridium botulinum, myosin, encephalitogenic basic proteins, substance P, serotonin, conjugated cholyl bile acid, HBS-antigen, C-reactive protein, HB, treponema pallidum, leptospira, etc. Of these analytes, those which particularly preferably apply to the analysis element of this invention are IgG, IgM, IgE, IgA, insulin, HBS-antigen, α-fetoprotein, human growth hormone, renin, gastrin, LH, FSH, cortisol, angiotensin, ACTH, C-peptide, CEA, glucagon, aldosterone, C-reactive protein, HB, treponema pallidum and leptospira. In the case of using the multilayer analysis element of this invention for an immune test of serium, examination can be performed using mere trace amount of a sample, i.e., 10 µl. Further, the multilayer analysis element is extremely useful for the examination of serious cases or with children since whole blood can be used. In addition, there is no need for B/F separation (separation of a free antigen from an antigen-bound antibody) which is required in conventional analysis and the time required for incubation of an antigen-antibody reaction is within 1 hr., which is much shorter than with conventional test. Thus, quantitative assay data can be provied in an extremely short period of time. The multilayer analysis element in accordance with this invention is an epoch-making analytical element for the immune test of serum. A representative example of the embodiments of the multilayer analysis element of this invention will be shown below. Example Onto a colorless, transparent polycarbonate film (thickness, 180 µm) which had been subjected to a hydrophilicity treatment by electron radiation, the layers indicated below were coated or laminated in succession in the recited order to prepare a multilayer analysis element as shown in Figure 1. Reagent layer (fluorescein-labelled antibody receiving layer): The above components were homogenously mixed and the mixture coated with a small coating machine. The coated layer was dried to form a reagent layer. Layer thickness of the reagent layer after drying was 8 µm. Porous medium layer: After thoroughly washing cotton-mixed polyester (mixed spinning ratio, polyester/cotton=75/25 plain weave) with water and the defatting, the cotton-mixed polyester was immersed in 100 ml. of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) (pH 7.3) and a solution of 0.5 g. of cyanuric chloride in 2 ml. of N,N-dimethylformamide was added thereto. While stirring under ice cooling, the pH of the mixture was adjusted to pH 7.0 using a 0.5N aqueous sodium carbonate solution and the mixture was reacted for 1 hr. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was repeatedly washed with a saline solution. On the other hand, after a 1 % solution of human IgG in a saline solution was incubated at 63°C. for 10 mins. to modify it, the human IgG solution was diluted 100-fold with a saline solution. The mixed fabric to which reactivity had been imparted with cyanuric chloride as described above was immersed in the diluted human IgG solution. Stirring was performed at 37°C. for 1 hr. to react with the modified human IgG. After completion of the reaction, the mixed fabric was washed with a saline solution and then immersed in a saline solution containing 0.2% bovine serum albumin and then washed with a saline solution again. Then, the thus washed mixed fabric was immersed in the following aqueous solution followed by drying: After wetting the reagent layer already obtained with a 0.2% p-nonylphenoxyglerine aqueous solution, the modified human IgG-immobilized mixed fabric in which carbon black had been incorporated was put on the reagent layer followed by pressing and drying. Thus, a black colored porous medium layer was formed to prepare a multilayer analysis film for rheumatoid factor test. Onto the obtained multilayer analysis film 10 µl of sample solution obtained by mixing whole blood and the aforesaid 0.01% FITC-labelled human (9:1 volume) spotted followed by incubation at 37°C. for 30 mins. Using a 9:1 volume mixture of whole blood and dilued buffer PBS as a control, a similar procedure was repeated. By observation from the support side, no pattern of red cells or the like was noted. Measurement was performed from the support side of this multilayer analysis film using excitation of 480 nm and an emission of 520 nm. Higher fluorescence intensity than per the control was observed.

Claims: A multilayer analysis element comprising at least one porous medium layer having immobilized therein a substance capable of causing a competitive antigen-antibody reaction and at least one reagent layer, characterized in that said porous medium layer (50) is composed of at least one member with a pore size of 0.2 to 20 µm selected from the group consisting of a textile, a non-woven fabric and water permeable paper, is water-permeable and rendered hydrophilic and uniformly absorbs and spreads a liquid sample, said substance being an antibody or antigen predominantly affixed to the inner walls of said porous medium, or when fibers are used, predominantly within the porous medium on the surface of the fibers, and that said reagent layer (20) is permeable to a substance which did not undergo the antigen-antibody reaction and comprises a hydrophilic high molecular weight substance as a binder selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agarose, sodium alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium polyacrylate, polyhydroxyethyl methacrylate, copolymers containing acrylic acid and copolymers containing maleic acid. The multilayer analysis element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said porous medium layer (50) is rendered hydrophilic by washing and rinsing with water and then dipping in an aqueous surfactant solution, or spraying the surfactant solution on the material. The multilayer analysis element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said porous medium layer (50) is rendered hydrophilic by wetting it with hydrophilic polymer solutions.

Inventors: AKIYOSHI, YUTAKA, KITAJIMA, MASAO, KONDO, ASAJI
Applicants: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Application year: 1981
Main classification: G01N33
IPC codes: G01N33