FIELD KIT FOR DETECTING ANALYTES

Abstract: The present invention relates to a field kit (10) for the detection of analytes and to a method for using such a field kit (10). The field kit (10) comprises a tray (14) and lid (12) adhered to the surface of the tray (14). Reaction-reagent compartments (30) are formed by recesses in the tray (14) when the tray (14) is adhered to the lid (12). Probe compartments (16) may also be included if desired. In operation, the tray (14) and lid (12) are bent at a score line (42) to open the wells (30) containing the reaction reagents. The lid (12) is bent to form an A-shaped structure so that the kit (10) may be placed in an upright position for use. A portion of the lid (12) is peeled back from the tray (14) to release probes (20) and other, non-liquid components, if present.

Description: FIELD KIT FOR DETECTING ANALYTES Field of the Invention This invention relates to a field kit for the detection of analytes. Background of the Invention Increasing concerns of the pollution of the environment has led to the need for the general public to be able to test the food and the water they drink for the presence of toxins and contaminants. This need is especially important when the food or water has not been tested by governmental authorities, such as fish caught by sports fisherman, especially for the presence of ciguatoxins and related marine polyether toxins, or water which might be drunk on camping trips. Also, there is a often a desire to test food and water when traveling in countries where quality control of contamination may not be as rigorous as required by the consumer. Another circumstance where such testing is desired is, after a disaster, such as a flood or an earthquake, when contamination of water and food is commo . Testing methods are available for the detection of analytes such as toxins and other contaminants. However, these testing methods are often complicated and are not easily conducted by a lay person. Therefore, there is a need for an easy-to-use field kit to test for analytes, such as toxins and other contaminants of food. It is also desirable that such a field kit is inexpensive and have the ability to be stored for extended periods of time. Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a field kit for detecting analytes and to a method for using such a field kit. The field kit comprises a tray and a lid adhered to the surface of the tray. Reagent compartments are formed by recesses in the tray when it is adhered to the lid. Other compartments may be added if desired to contain other assay components as required. In operation, the lid and tray are bent to open reagent wells and to form an A-εhaped stand, structured so that the kit may be placed in a free standing, upright position for use. Other assay components, if present, are released by peeling back a portion of the lid. In a preferred embodiment the field kit is used for testing fish for the presence of ciguatoxinε. Description of the Drawings These features and advantages of the invention, as well as other features and advantages of the invention, will be more apparent from a reading of the claims and of the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the drawings described below. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a field kit for the detection of analytes; and FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an in-use field kit for the detection of analytes. Detailed Description The present invention relates to a field kit for the detection of analytes and to a method for using the field kit. FIG. 1 shows a field kit 10. The field kit comprises a lid 12 which is made from a rigid-but- bendable, non-porous material, such as a laminated material comprising one or more layers selected from the group consisting of plastic, paper, foil and ' adhesive. It is preferable that the material is coated with a water-resistant material, such as foil or plastic, to prevent liquids contained in the reagent compartments from penetrating the lid material and evaporating or being contaminated by the lid material, or the environment. The coating material also allows a tray 14 to be readily removed without tearing the lid material. The tray is adhered to the surface of the lid by an adhesive such as that supplied by Rolling Packaging Products, Inc. (Catalog No. 26-1045) . The tray is preferably made from transparent plastic or other suitable material so that the contents of the kit can be observed while the kit is in use. The tray is molded to contain a plurality of recesses so that, when the tray is adhered to the lid, a plurality of individual compartments are formed between the lid and the tray. The surface of the tray, between the recesses, is adhered to the surface of the lid to form individual, sealed compartments. In one embodiment of the present invention, recesses 16, located on an upper half of the lid 18, form compartments for holding probes 20, i.e., the probe compartments. The probes are used for dipping into the material to be tested, to bind the analyte being assayed. In some cases, e.g., where water is being tested, such probes may not be required, and the material being tested can be transferred directly to the assay reagents. In such cases where a liquid is being transferred it is desirable to include a dropper in a compartment in the kit. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the field kit is used for the testing of ciguatoxins in fish and in such cases the probes comprise membrane material, such as that supplied by Millipore, of Bedford, MA, under the name "MILLIPORE IMMOBILON-P MEMBRANE #IPVH," attached to a "dipstick." Polystyrene strips are suitable for use as dipsticks. The membranes are attached to the dipsticks by using an adhesive, such as "AVERY MEDICAL GRADE ADHESIVE #3044," or other suitable means of attachment. Probes typically comprise positive and negative control probes and test probes. The positive control probes are probes that have been exposed to the analyte to be tested, or to an analog of the analyte, so that when the probe is reacted with the reaction reagents a positive result will be obtained. Negative control probes are probes that have not been exposed to the analyte to be tested, or to an analog of the analyte, so that when they are reacted with the reaction reagents a negative result will be obtained. Test probes are probes that are to be exposed to a potential source of an analyte such as water or food. The test probes, after reaction with the reaction reagents, are compared with the negative and positive controls to determine if a positive or negative result has been obtained, and therefore, if the food or water is contaminated with the analyte being tested. In the case of water, other liquids or other tests where a probe is not used, positive and negative controls may be provided as a liquid or in another suitable form in separate compartments in the kit. These compartments are opened and the control material is added to reaction reagent compartments at the time of assaying of a test sample. Alternatively, where the reaction products are sufficiently stable, it may be desirable to provide prereacted positive and negative controls in separate compartments in the kit. When ciguatoxins are to be tested positive control supports comprise membranes to which about 25 mg/ml ciguatoxin extract has been bound or to which okadaic acid (commercially available from Sigma Chemical Co. of St. Louis, MO, Catalog No. 0-1506) , which has been found to mimic ciguatoxins in ciguatoxin assays, has been bound. For use in ciguatoxin assays, okadaic acid is mixed with a carrier. Carriers suitable for use in the present invention are carriers such as: fish extract obtained from either toxic or non-toxic fish; oil/organic solvent mixtures; non-ionic detergent solutions; or fatty-acid solutions. Preferably, a solution comprising about 0.5 μg/ml okadaic acid and a carrier is suitable for use in preparing positive controls. An additional recess 22, a blotter compartment, may be located on the upper half of the tray for holding blotting material, such as paper toweling or other suitable material. Recesses located on the lower half of the tray 24 form sealed compartments for holding and isolating reaction reagents. In one embodiment, where fixation of the analyte to the probe is required, one compartment 26 (the fixative compartment or well) contains a fixative reagent. Where washing of the probes is required, after they have been reacted with the reaction reagents, there is provided another compartment 28 (the wash compartment or well) , which contains a wash solution. Other compartments 30 (reagent compartments or wells) each contain reaction reagents. The reaction reagents may be in the form of a solution or may be dried or lyophilized and reconstituted, prior to use. In the case where the reaction reagents are to be reconstituted, the reconstitution solution is also provided in a well in the field kit. Where such transfer of a liquid is desirable a means for transferring the liquid, such as a dropper, may be provided in a separate compartment. In the case of testing for ciguatoxins the compartments 30 each contain immunobead solutions. Immunobeads comprise antibodies against ciguatoxin extract bound to colored latex beads. Preferably, the number of immunobead compartments is equal to the number of probes contained in the probe compartments. The reagent wells are parallel to each other, and each runs from the lower edge 32 of the tray to positions 36, located about midway between the lower edge 32 and the upper edge 38 of the lid, and extending from the lower edge to beyond score line 42. Also molded into the tray, at an edge of the upper half of the lid, is a recess. This recess is open at the edge and provides a tab 40, or means of grasping the tray, so that the upper half of the tray can be peeled back from the lid to release the probes and the blotter from their compartments. The score line 42 is located on the lid and tray and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reaction-reagent compartments on the lower half of the tray. The score is located so that, when the tray and lid are bent at the score line, the reaction reagent wells, or wells containing other liquid components, are open at their upper end 36. The lid also has a score line at the same location as the score line of the tray. The score line on the lid allows the lid to be bent, approximately in half, to form an A-shaped structure, so that the kit will stand upright in use, with edges 32 and 38 resting on a flat surface and score line 42 forming the apex of the "A", as shown in FIG. 2. In order for one to use the field kit, the kit is held in an upright position so that the liquids, or dried powders, in wells 24, 26, and 30 fall to the bottom of the wells, located near edge 32. The kit may be tapped against a solid surface to ensure all the contents of the wells are at the bottom of the wells. The kit is then opened by grasping tab 40 and peeling the top half of the lid 18 from the tray. Peeling away the upper half of the lid allows for the removal of the probes and the blotter from their compartments. The lid and tray are then bent at the score line 42, to open the reaction reagent compartments and to form an A-shaped structure, which can be placed on a surface, to stand on edges 32 and 38, with the score line forming the apex of the "A", and which results in the reagent-containing wells being placed in an upright position. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the field kit is used to detect ciguatoxin contamination in fish, a membrane portion of a "test" probe is inserted into an incision made in the fish and is pushed up and down to contact the fish tissue. The test probe is removed and air-dried for about five minutes or until the membrane is dry. Any ciguatoxins isolated from the fish are fixed onto the test probe by immersing the membrane in the fixative well for about one second. The test probe is again removed and air- dried for about five minutes. The test probe is then immersed in an immunobead suspension in one of the immunobead wells and allowed to remain in the immunobead suspension, undisturbed, for about five minutes. The positive and negative control probes are each similarly immersed in an immunobead suspension, in separate immunobead wells. After five minutes, each of the probes is removed from the immunobead suspension and washed three times, with phosphate-buffered saline, by separately immersing the probe in the wash well. Any excess liquid is removed by blotting the probes with the paper towel. If the membrane of the test probe has a faint blue color or no color, the test probe is re-immersed in the immunobead suspension for an additional five minutes, after which time the test probe is again washed, as described above. The color on the test probe is compared to the color on the positive and negative control probes. If a distinct coloration of the test probe is observed after five minutes, the test is considered positive. If, after a total of 10 minutes' immersion in the immunobead suspension, there is no color, the test result is considered to be negative. If, • after 10 minutes' immersion in the immunobead suspension, there is a slight coloration, the test is considered to indicate intermediate or "borderline" toxicity. Only fish which give a negative result are considered safe to eat. The above descriptions of exemplary embodiments of a kit for detecting analytes and a method for using such a kit are for illustrative purposes. Because of variations which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments described above. The present invention may also be practiced in the absence of any element not specifically disclosed. The scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS : 1. A field kit for the detection of an analyte comprising: a flat lid having a water-resistant surface and a score line that permits bending of the lid to stand upright in use; a plastic tray having a plurality of recesses and a score line passing through at least some of the recesses; an adhesive adhering the water-resistant surface of the lid to the tray such that the score lines coincide and the recesses form individual sealed compartments; and liquid reaction reagents contained in the compartments through which the score lines pass such that when the lid and tray are bent along the score lines the reagent containing compartments are broken opened to expose the reagents. 2. The kit of claim 1, in which the tray has one or more other recesses removed from the score line which form one or more other compartments, the kit additionally comprising a probe stored in one of the other compartments. 3. The kit of claim 2, additionally comprising a blotter stored in one of the other compartments. 4. The kit of claim 1, in which the tray has one or more other recesses removed from the score line which form one or more other compartments, the kit additionally comprising a blotter stored in one of the other compartments. 5. The kit of claim 2, in which the tray has a tab to permit selective separation of the portions the lid and the tray forming the other compartments. 6. A field kit as recited in claim 1 wherein the analyte to be detected is ciguatoxins or related marine polyether toxins. 7. A method for using a field kit, having a lid, a tray adhered to the surface of the lid, a plurality of compartments in the tray for separately holding a plurality of liquid reaction reagents and probes and a score-line, for the detection of an analyte comprising: folding the tray and lid at the score-line, thereby opening a plurality of wells, formed between the lid and the tray, separately containing the liquid reaction reagents; and bending the lid to form a stand to hold the kit in an upright position while it is in use. 8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising peeling a portion of a tray from a lid whereby probes contained in recesses formed between the lid and the tray are released. 9. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising: binding an analyte to the probe; and reacting the analyte bound to the probe with the reagents in the reagent wells. 10. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising adding analyte to the reagents contained in the reagent wells. 11. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising reconstituting dry reagents with a solvent. 12. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the analyte to be tested are ciguatoxins or related marine polyether toxins.

Inventors: RICHARDSON JOHN G, RICHARDSON, JOHN, G.
Applicants: HAWAII CHEMTECT INT, HAWAII CHEMTECT INTERNATIONAL
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G01N21
IPC codes: B01L3, B01L9, B01L11, G01N33