Patent · US Expired

Method of distinguishing among strips for different assays in an automated instrument

US5439826A · kind A · utility

79Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateDec 2, 1988
Grant dateAug 8, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 2, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/12
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of distinguishing between strips for different assays in an automated instrument, wherein characteristics to which the instrument is sensitive are selectively introduced in microwells of individual microstrips which are pretreated with a specific antigen or antibody for a particular test. On each microstrip, the wells having the characteristic collectively define a multi-bit code which corresponds to a particular condition or disease to be tested for. The automated instrument reads the characteristic from the selected wells and thus determines what test is to be conducted. The marks may have optical, radioactive, luminescent, fluorescent, or magnetic characteristics, in accordance with the test to be conducted.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.