Patent ID: 7776542

Claim:
A method for detecting a hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a sample by obtaining a sample suitable for detection of virus by a probe monoclonal antibody, comprising the steps of: (1) treating a virus-containing sample with a treatment solution containing (a) an anionic surfactant and (b) at least one agent selected from the group consisting of an amphoteric surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and a protein denaturant; such that the virus particle is disrupted, the virus antigen is exposed or released such that the virus antigen is denatured; and antibodies against the virus antigen, if present in the sample, are inactivated; and (2) adding the treated sample to a probe monoclonal antibody that has been immobilized to a solid support, wherein the concentration of the surfactants used during the treatment step are diluted to an extent that said surfactants exhibit little or no denaturing properties to the probe monoclonal antibody, adding a reaction buffer to said treatment sample and probe monoclonal antibody and detecting the denatured virus antigen by immunoassay using the probe monoclonal antibody.