Patent ID: 8283182

Claim:
A method for testing for the presence of a component of interest in a liquid sample, 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 test capillary; (iii) a power source; (iv) a detector electrically associated with the power source for detecting presence or absence of the liquid sample at the downstream end of the 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, detector and 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 along the test capillary and contacts the agglutination reagent system and wherein the presence of the component of interest in the liquid sample causes agglutination that slows flow of the liquid sample such that the liquid sample does not reach the downstream end of the test capillary by a predetermined time, interval; and (c) detecting the presence or absence of the liquid sample at the downstream end of the test control capillary at the pre-determined time interval, wherein absence of the liquid sample at the downstream end of the test capillary at the pre-determined time interval is indicative of the presence of the component.