Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of performing an assay for an analyte in a liquid medium which comprises the steps: (a) incubating, in an assay vessel, a sample containing said analyte, together with a first, labelled, reagent which is soluble in said liquid medium and wherein the label of said labelled reagent is a component of a fluorescent or luminescent system, and with a second reagent which is bound to magnetically attractable particles that are insoluble in, but suspendable in, said liquid medium; one of said first and said second reagents being a specific binder for said analyte and the other of said first and said second reagents being able to bind either to said analyte or to said specific binder; whereby said labelled reagent becomes partitioned between said liquid medium and said magnetically attractable particles in a proportion which depends on the concentration of said analyte in said sample; (b) separating said magnetically attractable particles from said liquid medium and removing said liquid medium from said vessel; and (c) resuspending said magnetically attractable particles in another liquid medium containing any further reagents required to react with the labelled reagent to generate a signal, and observing a signal generated by said labelled reagent bound to said magnetically attractable particles, whereby the concentration of said analyte in said sample may be determined.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of performing an assay for an analyte in a liquid medium which comprises the steps: (a) incubating, in an assay vessel, a sample containing said analyte, together with a first, labelled, reagent which is soluble in said liquid medium and wherein the label of said labelled reagent is a component of a fluorescent or luminescent system, and with a second reagent which is bound to magnetically attractable particles that are insoluble in, but suspendable in, said liquid medium; one of said first and said second reagents being a specific binder for said analyte and the other of said first and said second reagents being able to bind either to said analyte or to said specific binder; whereby said labelled reagent becomes partitioned between said liquid medium and said magnetically attractable particles in a proportion which depends on the concentration of said analyte in said sample; (b) separating said magnetically attractable particles from said liquid medium and removing said liquid medium from said vessel; and (c) resuspending said magnetically attractable particles in another liquid medium containing any further reagents required to react with the labelled reagent to generate a signal, and observing a signal generated by said labelled reagent bound to said magnetically attractable particles, whereby the concentration of said analyte in said sample may be determined.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said assay is performed in each vessel of a planar array of assay vessels in fixed relationship to one another.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the array of assay vessels is a microtiter plate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein each assay vessel is optically screened from its neighbors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein observation of the signal generated by the labelled reagent in step (c) is effected from above or below the assay vessel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetically attractable particles are suspendable in the liquid medium without shaking for a period at least as long as the incubation time of the assay.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetically attractable particles attenuate the signal generated by the labelled reagent thereon by not more than 50%.