Patent ID: 8563330

Claim:
A method of using the immunochromatographic strip for screening an α-thalassemia carrier, comprising: (1) lysing red blood cells of a blood sample obtained from a subject; (2) applying an aliquot of the lysed red blood cells obtained in (1) to said strip; (3) substantially removing the applied aliquot by washing the strip; and (4) determining whether the subject is an α-thalassemia carrier based on a positive chromatographic result or a negative chromatographic result that is obtained from (1)-(3); wherein the positive chromatographic result indicates that the subject is an α-thalassemia carrier; wherein the positive chromatographic result is chromatographically distinguishable on the immunochromatographic strip from the negative chromatographic result; and wherein the immunochromatographic strip comprises: a sample application pad; a conjugate releasing pad; a nitrocellulose membrane; and an absorbent pad; wherein said sample application pad, said conjugate releasing pad, said nitrocellulose membrane, and said absorbent pad are in connected association with one another so as to form the immunochromatographic strip; wherein the conjugate releasing pad comprises a colloid particle that is conjugated to an antibody specific for an α-thalassemia protein; wherein the nitrocellulose membrane comprises an unconjugated antibody specific for the α-thalassemia protein that is immobilized at a capture line and an antibody specific to the α-thalassemia protein specific antibody that is immobilized at a control line, the control line being located distal to the capture line; and wherein the positive chromatographic result is obtained by binding of an α-thalassemia protein to the antibody conjugated to the colloid particle to form a complex and further binding of the complex to the unconjugated antibody so as to produce a first visually identifiable signal at the capture line, and the negative chromatographic result is obtained by unbound antibody conjugated to the colloid particle to the antibody specific to the α-thalassemia protein specific antibody so as to produce a second visually identifiable signal at the control line.