Even fluid front for liquid sample on test strip device

Abstract

The present invention provides an analytical test device for conducting assays of biological fluids. Methods for carrying out the assays with the disclosed analytical test devices are also provided.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An analytical test device, comprising: 
 (a) a top having one or more display ports, and optionally, a sample aperture, an entry port and a vertical bar;    (b) a bottom having an upper plane, a slope and a contacting surface attached to the slope at a descending angle, optionally, a lower plane between the slope and contacting surface and, optionally, an entry port; and    (c) a strip comprising an absorbent membrane, a reaction membrane having one or more reagents that form a reaction complex with an analyte in a fluid sample and, optionally, a collecting pad,    wherein the absorbent membrane, the reaction membrane and the collecting pad, when present, are in fluid flow contact with one other; the strip is placed on the bottom such that the reaction membrane is visible through the display port and the absorbent membrane is on the slope and on the lower plane when present; and the fluid sample contacts the absorbent membrane by first contacting the contacting surface when the top and bottom are assembled.    
     
     
         2 . The analytical test device of    claim 1   , further comprising the top, the bottom or the assembled top and bottom having the optional sample entry port and the contacting surface extending outward from the bottom and the absorbent membrane is in fluid flow contact with the contacting surface through the entry port.  
     
     
         3 . The analytical test device of    claim 1   , wherein the top has the vertical bar and wherein the vertical bar deflects the absorbent membrane to the follow the contour of the slope.  
     
     
         4 . The analytical test device of    claim 2   , wherein the lower plane is present.  
     
     
         5 . The analytical test device of    claim 2   , further comprising a cap placed over the contacting surface.  
     
     
         6 . The analytical test device of    claim 1   , wherein the collecting pad is present and in fluid flow contact with the reaction membrane.  
     
     
         7 . The analytical test device of    claim 1   , wherein the sample aperture is present and the contacting surface is below the sample aperture.  
     
     
         8 . The analytical test device of    claim 1   , further comprising a diffusively bound labeled reagent bound to the absorbent membrane at a point spatially separated from the point where the fluid sample first contacts the absorbent membrane.  
     
     
         9 . The analytical test device of    claim 8   , wherein bound to the reaction membrane is: 
 (a) a non-diffusively bound reagent complementary to an analyte in the fluid sample at a point beneath the display port; and    (b) a non-diffusively bound control reagent complementary to the diffusively bound labeled reagent, wherein the non-diffusively bound control reagent is bound at a point beneath the display port that is spatially separated from the point at which the non-diffusively bound reagent is bound.    
     
     
         10 . The analytical test device of    claim 9   , further comprising a first display port and a second display port, wherein the non-diffusively bound reagent is positioned beneath the first display port and the non-diffusively bound control reagent is positioned beneath the second display port.  
     
     
         11 . The analytical test device of    claim 8   , wherein bound to the reaction membrane at a point beneath the display port is a non-diffusively bound reagent, wherein the analyte and the diffusively bound labeled reagent compete for binding to the non-diffusively bound reagent.  
     
     
         12 . A method for detecting an analyte in a fluid sample, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) contacting the fluid sample to the contacting surface of the analytical test device of    claim 1   ; and    (b) detecting the analyte by observing the reaction complex through the display port.    
     
     
         13 . The method of    claim 12   , wherein the reaction complex is visible.