Patent ID: 8691593

Claim:
A method for testing a liquid sample for the presence or absence of a component of interest in the liquid sample, the method comprising: (a) providing a sample testing device, wherein the device comprises: (i) at least one test capillary which has an upstream end and a downstream end and which incorporates an agglutination reagent system capable of causing agglutination with the component of interest; (ii) a sampling region for receiving the liquid sample and from which the liquid sample enters the upstream end of the at least one test capillary; (iii) a power source; (iv) a detector electrically associated with the at least one test capillary, for detecting presence or absence of the liquid sample in the at least one test capillary; (v) a display device operated by the power source for indicating a result of a test; and (vi) a signal processor associated with the power source, the detector and the display device for evaluating the result of the test and providing the result on the display device; (b) applying the liquid sample to the sampling region, whereby the liquid sample flows from the upstream end of the at least one test capillary toward the downstream end and contacts the agglutination reagent system and wherein the presence of the component of interest in the liquid sample causes agglutination that slows or stops flow of the liquid sample; and (c) at a pre-determined time interval, detecting the presence or absence of the liquid sample at the detector; wherein absence of the liquid sample at the detector at the pre-determined time interval is indicative of the presence of the component.