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Methods for detecting and quantifying occult blood

Assignee: Baylor College of Medicine
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Filing: 1979-12-10
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Granted: 1981-07-07
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Expires: 1999-12-10
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Abstract

Abstract A method for detecting occult blood in aqueous samples of human specimens, particularly aqueous suspensions of fecal matter is disclosed. The method comprises acidifying an aqueous test sample, which in the case of fecal matter has been treated with lysozyme to clear the suspension; separating the liquid and solid portions of the test sample and passing the acidified liquid portion through an electro-negatively charged membrane; thereafter removing residual test liquids from the membrane; treating the membrane with a peroxidase indicator and observing the development of color on the treated membrane surface. A method for quantifying occult blood is also disclosed which comprises subjecting an aqueous sample to the disclosed detection method and comparing the color developed with a standardized scale reflecting colors developed by treating samples containing known incremental quantities of hemoglobin in accordance with the detection method of the invention.

Inventors

  • 👤 Joseph L. Melnick
  • 👤 Craig Wallis

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 13:27
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/48; G01N33/50; G01N33/72; G01N33/721; G01N33/725; C; C12; C12Q; C12Q1/00; C12Q1/26; C12Q1/28; C12Q2326/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/25; Y10T436/25375

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 89 words
A method for detecting occult blood in a human specimen which comprises: (a) acidifying a liquid test sample of the specimen with an organic acid; (b) separating the test sample into a liquid portion and a solid portion; (c) passing the acidified liquid portion through an electronegatively charged membrane capable of adsorbing hemoglobin; (d) thereafter, washing the membrane surface to remove residual test sample liquids; (e) treating the washed surface with a peroxidase indicator composition suitable for detecting hemoglobin; and (f) observing the color on the treated membrane surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 89 words
A method for detecting occult blood in a human specimen which comprises: (a) acidifying a liquid test sample of the specimen with an organic acid; (b) separating the test sample into a liquid portion and a solid portion; (c) passing the acidified liquid portion through an electronegatively charged membrane capable of adsorbing hemoglobin; (d) thereafter, washing the membrane surface to remove residual test sample liquids; (e) treating the washed surface with a peroxidase indicator composition suitable for detecting hemoglobin; and (f) observing the color on the treated membrane surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the test sample comprises urine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the specimen comprises fecal matter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the test sample comprises a fecal suspension clarified by means of an enzyme capable of digesting polysaccharides.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the test sample of the fecal matter is a 1% suspension of feces in aqueous glycine buffer diluent which suspension has been treated with lysozyme to clear the suspension.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the treatment with lysozyme is effected at about pH 8 and 37° C. for about 5-15 minutes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 5 wherein about 1 mg of lysozyme is employed per ml of suspension.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the organic acid is added to the sample to produce a final acid concentration of about 1%.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the organic acid is citric acid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the organic acid is acetic acid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the test sample is separated into liquid and solid portions by centrifuging the acidified sample and decanting the resulting supernatant.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the test sample is separated into liquid and solid portions by passing the acidified sample through an electropositive clarifier having a porosity of about 0.65 to about 2.0 microns.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the electronegatively charged membrane has a porosity of about 1 micron.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the membrane is washed with 1% acetic acid.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the peroxidase indicator composition comprises o-tolidine and hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the composition comprises 1 part by volume of 2% hydrogen peroxide to each part by volume of 0.5% o-tolidine aqueous solution.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 43 words
The method of claim 1 which further comprises quantifying the blood present in the specimen by comparing the color observed on the membrane surface with a color guide developed by subjecting samples containing known quantities of hemoglobin to the process of claim 1.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 173 words
The method of claim 1 for detecting occult blood in fecal matter which comprises obtaining a liquid test sample by treating a 1% suspension of feces in aqueous glycine buffer with about 1 mg of lysozyme per ml of suspension at about pH 8 and 37° C. for about 5-15 minutes and performing steps (a) to (f) as follows: (a) acidifying the test sample resulting from the lysozyme treatment of the suspension by adding an organic acid to the sample to produce a final acid concentration of about 1%; (b) separating the acidified sample into a liquid and a solid portion by passing the test sample through an electropositive clarifier having a porosity of about 0.65 to 2.0 microns; (c) passing the clarified filtrate through an electronegatively charged membrane capable of adsorbing hemoglobin; (d) thereafter washing the membrane surface with 1% acetic acid to remove residual fecal fluids; (e) treating the washed surface with a peroxidase indicator composition comprising o-tolidine and hydrogen peroxide; and (f) observing the color on the treated membrane surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method for quantitatively detecting the presence of occult blood in fecal matter which comprises subjecting a specimen of fecal matter to the process of claim 18 and thereafter comparing the color on the treated membrane surface with a standard reflecting the colors of known quantities of hemoglobin subjected to the process of claim 18.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3350174A Cited
US3919044A Cited
US4066512A Cited
US4200690A Cited
US4142856A Cited
US4138214A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1984-07-06 1985-01-05 1985-07-07 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1988-07-06 1989-01-05 1989-07-07 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1992-07-06 1993-01-05 1993-07-07 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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