Patent ID: 8241915

Claim:
A method of detecting hemoglobin in a test sample, the method consisting essentially of the steps of: a) adding at least one basic solution to a test sample; b) adding an indicator solution to the test sample to generate a light signal, wherein the indicator solution comprises at least one acridinium compound, wherein steps a) and b) can be performed in any order; and c) measuring the increase in light generated to detect the hemoglobin in the test sample, wherein the light generated is proportional to the amount of hemoglobin in the test sample; and wherein the at least one acridinium compound comprises an acridinium-9-carboxamide or an acridinium-9-carboxylate aryl ester, wherein the acridiniurn-9-carboxamide has a structure according to formula I: wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or aralkyl, sutfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl and oxoalkyl, and; wherein R 3 through R 15 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or aralkyl, amino, amido, acyl, alkoxyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, halogen, halide, nitro, cyano, sulfo, sulfoalkyl, carboxylalkyl and oxoalkyl; and optionally, if present, X ⊖ is an anion, and wherein acridinium-9-carboxylate aryl ester has a structure according to formula II: wherein R 1 is an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or aralkyl, sulfoalkyl, carboxyalkyl and oxoalkyl, and; wherein R 3 through R 15 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl or aralkyl, amino, amido, acyl, alkoxyl, hydroxyl, carboxyl, halogen, halide, nitro, cyano, sulfo, sulfoalkyl, carboxylalkyl and oxoalkyl; and optionally, if present, X ⊖ is an anion.