Patent ID: 7807103

Claim:
A protease activity detection apparatus that determines allergen levels in a dust sample, comprising: a substrate; proteins or peptides labeled with a chromogenic substance attached to and immobilized on the substrate, the immobilized proteins or peptides having a structure that is cleaved by protease found in the dust sample to produce mobile breakdown products of an enzyme reaction labeled with the chromogenic substance and a resultant colour change; a surfactant that extracts the breakdown products from the substrate; an upper part having an internal chamber with an open end; a frangible seal that seals the surfactant within the internal chamber, the frangible seal being set back into the chamber from the open end; a middle part, having an internal passageway extending between opposing ends, the substrate dividing the internal passageway and wherein an outside diameter of a first end of the middle part forms a snug but sliding fit with an inside diameter of the open end; and a lower part containing a calorimetric amine detection reagent, a diameter of the lower part forming a snug but sliding fit with a second end of the middle part.