Abstract: Devices for conducting an assay are disclosed which utilize shrink wrap as a casing material. The use of shrink wrap casings enables the preliminary fluid filtering step and the chemical detection step to be combined, provides improved control over the flow of fluids into and through the assay device and reduces the time, material, effort, expense and risk of contamination involved in conducting assays.

Abstract: The present invention provides a kit for the improved method for detection of panel-reactive antibodies in serum of a subject against HLA Class I antigens, which comprises an array of microbeads, each microbead presenting HLA antigens from a cell population presenting the same HLA antigens. In the method, serum from a subject is added to said array of microbeads then the mixture is incubated for a sufficient time for anti-HLA antibodies in the serum to bind to the HLA antigens presented on the microbeads. After removing serum components which do not specifically bind with the HLA antigens presented on said microbeads, the microbeads are incubated with a labeled ligand capable of specifically binding with anti-HLA antibodies bound to said HLA antigens. The labeled ligand which is not bound to said HLA antigens are removed and the presence of labeled ligand bound to said HLA antigens are detected by flow cytometry.

Abstract: A method of determining affinity and kinetic properties for the solution interaction between an analyte and a binding partner therefor, which method comprises: (a) mixing a solution of said analyte with a solution of said binding partner, contacting the resulting reaction solution with (i) immobilised binding partner, or analogue, for said analyte, and/or (ii) immobilised analyte, or analogue, and monitoring the binding of said analyte and/or binding partner in said reaction solution to the respective immobilised species to determine the variation with time of the concentration of free analyte and/or binding partner in said solution; and/or (b) contacting a solution of the reaction complex of said analyte and a binding partner therefor with (i) immobilised binding partner, or analogue, and/or (ii) immobilised analyte, or analogue, and monitoring the binding of said analyte and/or binding partner in said reaction complex solution to the respective immobilised species to determine the variation with time of the

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of determining the ratio of the concentration or amounts of two or more chemical compounds and/or biopolymers, or of the relative amounts of sub-populations of closely structurally related compounds, in a multi-component mixture, extract, system, and the like using an analytical physicochemical process. The method is based on distribution of the components of the mixture (system, extract, etc.) between two or more immiscible phases and the subsequent determination of the total amounts (concentrations) of biopolymers (chemical compounds) or of the amounts (concentrations) of one or more component(s) or sub-populations of the system in the phases. The ratio between these concentrations is defined therein as the partition coefficient. The partition coefficient is used as a measure of the ratio of the amounts of two or more biopolymers (chemical compounds) or their sub-populations in a multi-component mixture (extract, system, etc.

Abstract: A process for determining glycosaminoglycans in antithrombin III (ATIII)-containing solutions by increasing the ionic strength of the AT III-containing solution until the interaction between AT III and glycosaminoglycans is prevented, removing the AT III which has been released from the glycosaminoglycans from the solution, and desalting and determining the glycosaminoglycan which has remained in the solution.

Abstract: A single laser flow cytometric method for the enumeration of micronuclei in erythrocyte populations, wherein a sample of peripheral blood or bone marrow is obtained and the cell populations in the sample are fixed. Reticulocytes in the fixed samples are treated simultaneously with RNAse and with a fluorescent labeled antibody having binding specificity for a surface marker for erythroblasts/reticulocytes. The erythrocyte populations are then stained with a nucleic acid stain which stains DNA representing micronuclei, if present. The stained and/or labeled erythrocyte populations are then exposed to a laser beam of appropriate excitation wavelength for both the nucleic acid staining dye and the fluorescent label to produce fluorescent emission. The fluorescent emission and light scatter produced by the erythrocyte populations are detected by the flow cytometer from which is calculated the number of specific erythrocyte populations in said sample.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a method for detecting labeled molecules and especially biotinylated molecules and particularly relates to a method for reducing background signal problems in such detection methods.

Abstract: A molecular sensing apparatus comprises a first electrode (10), a second electrode (12), a first molecule (20), a second molecule (22), and a third molecule (34). The first molecule (20) has a first chain of nucleic bases (30) and a first group (24). The first group (24) is bound to the first electrode (10). The second molecule (22) has a second chain of nucleic bases (32) and a second group (26). The second group (26) is bound to the second electrode (12). The third molecule (34) is bound to the first molecule (20) and the second molecule (22). A method which uses the molecular sensing apparatus is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method to detect canine IgE using a canine Fc epsilon receptor (Fc.sub..epsilon. R) to detect canine IgE antibodies in a biological sample from a canid. The present invention also relates to kits to perform such methods.

Abstract: An immunoassay method in which blood can be measured even without pretreatment by a centrifuge etc. In the present invention, antibodies or antigens in a sample are subjected to agglutination reaction with insoluble carriers onto which antigens or antibodies specifically reacting with the antibodies or antigens in the sample have been imrobilized and the resulting agglutination mixture is determined for the change in its absorbance or in its scattered light by irradiation with light, wherein said sample is whole blood and the whole blood is forcibly lysed.

Abstract: A method of detecting heparin-induced antibodies to complete a diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HITP) is disclosed. This method comprises the first step of attaching a glycosaminoglycan to a solid support, wherein the glycosaminoglycan is attached to the solid support only at the reducing end of the molecule (unidirectionally). Platelet factor 4 is then bound to the glycosaminoglycan forming a complex having an epitope recognizable by antibodies generated in an HITP immune response. Human blood plasma or serum from a patient suspected of having HITP is exposed to the complex and the complex is analyzed to determine if HITP-related antibodies are present. A device and kit used in performing the diagnostic assay are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for screening for reproductive tract inflammation and preeclampsia which utilizes the increase in neutrophil defensins to indicate that a patient is at risk of having reproductive tract inflammation or preeclampsia. The apparatus consists either an ELISA based measurement of defensins levels or a dipstick test that can be administered by the provider or self-administered by the patient.

Abstract: A method and system for optically assaying a substance in a sample using a sensing system having a diffraction grating sensor. A system and method are described that expose the sensor with a light beam at near normal angles of incidence and quantitatively measure the concentration of targeted substance by determining the angular separation between resulting anomaly angles. The present invention also contemplates a system and method that quantitatively measure the concentration of targeted substance by determining the wavelength separation between resulting anomaly wavelengths. Advantages of the present invention include increased sensitivity and less susceptibility to system drifts due to mechanical motion and thermal changes than conventional diffraction grating sensors.

Abstract: A method for detecting macromolecular species present on or in particles wherein particles are collected onto a surface, and the macromolecular species are allowed to diffuse from the particles. The diffused macromolecular species in close proximity to the particles are immobilized nonspecifically, wherein an immobilized macromolecular species is sufficiently close to a particle so as to be indicative of being diffused from the particle. The presence of the macromolecular species is detected while maintaining the close proximity of the immobilized macromolecular species to the particles from which the macromolecular species diffused.