Patent attributes
An immunoassay cassette, apparatus, and method for detecting an analyte in a liquid body-fluid sample are disclosed. The cassette has a body and a support mounted on the body, for movement toward and away from a sample transfer position. Sample supplied to a sample well in the cassette body is taken up by a reagent reservoir containing a first reagent composition effective to form a modified sample. The support provides a reagent strip having a transfer zone that is brought into contact with the reservoir, when the support is in the transfer position, a detection zone located downstream of the transfer zone, and a second reagent composition effective to react with the modified sample to form a detectable analyte-dependent product. By controlling movement of the support, volume and rate of sample flow from the reservoir to the strip can be controlled to optimize and/or standardize sample-transfer conditions in the assay.
