Method and apparatus for heterogeneous chemiluminescence assay

Claim 1

Apparatus for performing a chemiluminesecent assay comprising: an incubation chamber, wherein all or some reactant components are incubated; a container, separate from said incubation chamber, having an aperture; a solid, porous element in said container, said solid, porous element having an interactive property with a chemiluminescent moiety in a chemiluminescent assay wherein said chemiluminescent moiety is immobilized by said solid, porous element thereby preventing the migration thereof while permitting passage of other reaction components of said chemiluminescent assay; a porous absorptive material in said container which is chemically inactive with respect to a chemiluminescent activating reaction; means, adjacent said aperture, for evenly distributing to said porous element a chemiluminescent-activating solution for said chemiluminescent activating reaction, wherein said means comprises a plurality of ports disposed toward an inclined interior surface of said aperture; means for providing a light-tight seal around said container comprising a shroud for positioning a detection head around said container to create said light-tight seal; and means for photodetection adjacent said aperture.

Claim 8

A method for performing a chemiluminescent assay to determine the amount of analyte which may be present in a test sample, said method comprising the steps of: forming a reaction mixture comprising an analyte from a test sample with a chemiluminescent moiety in an incubation chamber, said chemiluminescent moiety capable of binding to said analyte as a function of the amount of analyte present in said test sample; transferring said reaction mixture from said incubation chamber to a container having a solid, porous element in said container, said porous element having an interactive property with said chemiluminescent moiety wherein said analyte bound to said chemiluminescent moiety is immobilized by said interactive property between said chemiluminescent moiety and said porous element to thereby prevent said chemiluminesent moiety from migrating from said porous element; distributing a chemiluminescent activating solution onto said porous element by means of a plurality of ports disposed toward an inclined interior surface of said container, said activating solution capable of reacting with said chemiluminescent moiety immobilized to said porous element to provide a chemiluminescent signal therefrom; light-sealing around said container; and measuring said chemiluminescent signal from said porous element.

Claim 9

A method for performing a chemiluminescent assay to determine the amount of analyte which may be present in a test sample, said method comprising the steps of: forming a reaction mixture comprising an analyte from a test sample with a chemiluminescent moiety in an incubation chamber, said chemiluminescent moiety capable of binding to said analyte as a function of the amount of analyte present in said test sample; transferring said reaction mixture from said incubation chamber to a container having a solid, porous element in said container, said porous element having an interactive property with said chemiluminescent moiety wherein said analyte bound to said chemiluminescent moiety is immobilized by said interactive property between said chemiluminescent moiety and said porous element to thereby prevent said chemiluminesent moiety from migrating from said porous element; distributing a chemiluminescent activating solution onto said porous element by means of a plurality of ports disposed toward an inclined interior surface of said container, said activating solution capable of reacting with said chemiluminescent moiety immobilized to said porous element to provide a chemiluminescent signal therefrom; light-sealing around said container; and measuring said chemiluminescent signal from said porous element.

Claim 16

A method for performing a competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay to determine the amount of analyte which may be present in a test sample, said method comprising the steps of: forming in an incubation chamber a competitive reaction mixture (i) an analyte from a test sample, said analyte or a binding analog thereof labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety, and a binding partner for said analyte or (II) an analyte from a test sample, a binding partner for said analyte labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety, and an immobilizable form of said analyte or analyte thereof; transferring said reaction mixture from said incubation chamber to a container having a solid, porous element, said porous element having an interactive property with said binding partner or said immobilizable form of said analyte wherein said analyte or binding analog thereof bound to said chemiluminescent label is immobilized by said interactive property therebetween to thereby prevent said chemiluminescent moiety from migrating from said porous element; distributing a chemiluminescent activating solution onto said porous element by means of a plurality of ports disposed toward an inclined interior surface of said container, said activating solution capable of reacting with said chemiluminescent moiety immobilized to said porous element through said binding partner to provide a chemiluminescent signal therefrom; light-sealing around said container; and measuring said chemiluminescent signal from said porous element.

Claim 17

A method for performing a competitive chemiluminescent immunoassay to determine the amount of analyte which may be present in a test sample, said method comprising the steps of: forming in an incubation chamber a competitive reaction mixture (i) an analyte from a test sample, said analyte or a binding analog thereof labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety, and a binding partner for said analyte or (II) an analyte from a test sample, a binding partner for said analyte labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety, and an immobilizable form of said analyte or analyte thereof; transferring said reaction mixture from said incubation chamber to a container having a solid, porous element, said porous element having an interactive property with said binding partner or said immobilizable form of said analyte wherein said analyte or binding analog thereof bound to said chemiluminescent label is immobilized by said interactive property therebetween to thereby prevent said chemiluminescent moiety from migrating from said porous element; distributing a chemiluminescent activating solution onto said porous element by means of a plurality of ports disposed toward an inclined interior surface of said container, said activating solution capable of reacting with said chemiluminescent moiety immobilized to said porous element through said binding partner to provide a chemiluminescent signal therefrom; light-sealing around said container; and measuring said chemiluminescent signal from said porous element.