US20110287434A1 - Pregnancy testing - Google Patents

Pregnancy testing Download PDF

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US20110287434A1
US20110287434A1 US13/129,732 US200913129732A US2011287434A1 US 20110287434 A1 US20110287434 A1 US 20110287434A1 US 200913129732 A US200913129732 A US 200913129732A US 2011287434 A1 US2011287434 A1 US 2011287434A1
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hpl
pregnancy
stage
sample
weeks
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Anatole Sebastian Menon-Johansson
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Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
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Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
    • G01N33/50—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing
    • G01N33/68—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing involving proteins, peptides or amino acids
    • G01N33/689—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing involving proteins, peptides or amino acids related to pregnancy or the gonads
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/48—Biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Haemocytometers
    • G01N33/50—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing
    • G01N33/74—Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing involving hormones or other non-cytokine intercellular protein regulatory factors such as growth factors, including receptors to hormones and growth factors
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N2333/00—Assays involving biological materials from specific organisms or of a specific nature
    • G01N2333/435—Assays involving biological materials from specific organisms or of a specific nature from animals; from humans
    • G01N2333/575—Hormones
    • G01N2333/5752—Placental lactogen; Chorionic Somatomammotropin
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N2333/00—Assays involving biological materials from specific organisms or of a specific nature
    • G01N2333/435—Assays involving biological materials from specific organisms or of a specific nature from animals; from humans
    • G01N2333/575—Hormones
    • G01N2333/59—Follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]; Chorionic gonadotropins, e.g. HCG; Luteinising hormone [LH]; Thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH]

Definitions

  • the disclosure relates to a method and device for establishing the approximate stage (gestation) of pregnancy of a human female, based on establishing the concentration of human placental lactogen (hPL) or a relevant fragment thereof in a body fluid sample from said female.
  • the disclosure also relates to use of an anti-hPL antibody for identifying the stage of pregnancy.
  • Pregnancy tests are widely used by healthcare professionals and private individuals. Pregnancy tests have been available at supermarkets and pharmacies for a number of years. One of the most famous brands is CLEARBLUE®. The latter tests are provided as simple, robust devices (see for example EP 0291194) that can readily be used at home by individuals and a result is given in a matter of minutes. The tests are based on detecting the presence or absence of a hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in urine from the relevant female.
  • hCG human chorionic gonadotrophin
  • the only other way to date the pregnancy is an ultrasound scan. Whilst the accuracy of ultrasound scans for determining the stage of the pregnancy is generally very high, and may be accurate within 3 or 4 days, this accuracy may be reduced for scans performed before week 13 of the pregnancy. Furthermore, it is not feasible to routinely determine the stage of a pregnancy using an ultrasound scan because of the resource implications and burden on the health care system. At the present time given the very high demand for scans, the first ultrasound scan is given at about 13 weeks, unless complications in the pregnancy are suspected.
  • the present inventor has found that the stage of a pregnancy can be correlated to the concentration of a hormone human placental lactogen.
  • the hormone itself has been known for a number of years and has been proposed as a biomarker for abnormalities in the pregnancy and/or foetus such as pre-eclampsia and fetal chromosomal aneuploidy amongst other things, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 7,235,359.
  • a method of determining the stage of a pregnancy comprising the steps of quantifying the concentration of hPL in a body fluid sample derived from a human female selected from a blood, plasma, serum and/or urine sample, and establishing the stage of pregnancy corresponding thereto.
  • hPL is also known as chorionic somatomammotropin hormone 1 or choriomammotropin lactogen.
  • UniProt indicates that the peptide is 217 amino acids in length, as shown in sequence ID No. 1, but it also seems to exist in a 190 or 191 amino acids length form.
  • the hormone has two subunits.
  • FIG. 1 shows the secretion profile of hPL in nmol/L as a function of weeks of pregnancy.
  • FIG. 2 shows a simple embodiment of a test arrangement suitable for indicating the stage of a pregnancy.
  • FIGS. 3 & 4 show various arrangements of a device with a digital display unit.
  • FIG. 5 shows an arrangement of a result reading device.
  • hPL has been suggested as a useful marker for detecting certain abnormalities during pregnancy, especially in the period 30-35 weeks, in the third trimester of pregnancy. Only very low levels of the hPL are secreted before 6 weeks. After 6 weeks the amount secreted increases exponentially until about week 24 when the concentration curve starts to flatten out (see FIG. 1 ).
  • Stage of pregnancy as employed herein is intended to refer to associating a time point with the pregnancy, for example the number of weeks of gestation, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 weeks or ranges thereof. It is not simply intended to refer to providing a binary result i.e. a positive or negative result, pregnant or not pregnant.
  • Quantifying the amount of hPL or other hormone referred to herein may be the absolute quantity, in mass per unit volume, moles (nano moles etc) per unit volume or as international units per unit volume, it also includes establishing the relative amount, for example by reference to a standard. In one embodiment the method employed is semi-quantitative.
  • Fragment thereof as employed herein refers to a detectable fragment that corresponds to the actual amount of hPL present, and may include a subunit such as the a-subunit.
  • the method may be able to distinguish the following time points in a pregnancy: 6 weeks or less, 6 to 9 weeks, 10 to 12 weeks, 13 to 15 weeks, 16 to 18 weeks, 19 to 21 weeks, and/or 21 to 24 weeks.
  • the stages less than 6 weeks may be characterised by a hPL concentration of 2 nmol/L or less.
  • the stage 6 weeks to up to 9 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 2 nmol/L up to about 9 nmol/L.
  • the stage 10 to 12 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 9 nmol/L to about 34 nmol/L.
  • the stage 13 to 15 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 80 nmol/L to about 95 nmol/L.
  • the stage 16 to 18 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 95 nmol/L to about 105 nmol/L.
  • the stage 19 to 21 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 105 nmol/L to about 200 nmol/L.
  • the stage 22 weeks to 24 weeks may be characterised by a concentration in the range above 200 nmol/L to about 225 nmol/L.
  • the method may distinguish between the following stages of pregnancy: 6 weeks and less, 7/8 weeks, 9 weeks, 10/11 weeks, 11/12 weeks, 12/13 weeks, 14/15/16 weeks, 17/18 weeks, 18/19 weeks, 19/20 weeks, 21 weeks, 22 weeks, 23 weeks, and/or 24 weeks and above.
  • a hPL concentration of 0.04 mg/L or below may be indicative of a pregnancy in the period 6 weeks or less.
  • a hPL concentration in the range 0.04-0.05 mg/L may be indicative of a 7/8 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration in the range 0.1 to 0.2 mg/L may be indicative of a 9 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration in the range 0.25 to 0.35 mg/L may be indicative of a 10/11 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration in the range 0.3 to 0.5 mg/L may be indicative of a 11/12 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration in the range 0.65 to 0.7 mg/L may be indicative of a 12/13 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration of about 0.9 mg/L may be indicative a 14/15/16 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration of about 1.5 mg/L may be indicative of a 17/18 week pregnancy.
  • a hPL concentration in of about 2.5 mg/L may be indicative of a 19/20 week pregnancy.
  • hPL has a short half life in serum it seems that due to the size of the peptide, at least some hPL is filtered at the glomerulus into the urine. Once in the urine hPL seems to be protected from degradation or further degradation. Thus the profile of secretion of hPL in urine seems to follows the same curve as that observed in serum, even though the absolute quantities of hPL in urine are lower than those observed in serum.
  • sensitive analytical techniques such as ELISA assays are able to detect and quantify the amounts of hPL in urine, which over a 24 hour period, at about week 8 of pregnancy is approximately 10 ⁇ g.
  • the method herein may be applied to determining the stage of pregnancy over 24 weeks.
  • the amounts of hPL in serum towards the end of the pregnancy may reach level approaching 5-7 mg/L.
  • the absolute amounts of hPL detected and/or extracted from the sample depends on the exact techniques employed. The more sensitive the technique the higher the value the may ultimately be detected. Thus the levels in Table 1, may be higher depending on which technique is employed.
  • the present disclosure is particularly suitable for establishing the stage of pregnancy when the female is in the first or second trimester of pregnancy.
  • the method is suitable for distinguishing one gestation week from another, in particular where the weeks fall within the range 7 to 28 weeks.
  • the above test may of course be performed after performing a test based on hCG levels which has identified the woman as pregnant. This may be important for an unconfirmed pregnancy at an early stage because a test based only on hPL before 6 weeks alone is not able to confirm the pregnancy.
  • a device testing for hPL concentrations is provided in a kit with a separate device testing for hCG levels, for example CLEARBLUE EASY®.
  • a combination of hormone levels are measured, for example, the concentration of hPL and hCG are measured, for example concomitantly or sequentially, such as in the is device (or alternatively in separate devices).
  • concentration of hPL and hCG are measured, for example concomitantly or sequentially, such as in the is device (or alternatively in separate devices).
  • This, may for example be achieved by employing a single device comprising multiple, such as 2, 3 or 4 separate assay strips.
  • the method may also test for concentrations of relaxin.
  • relaxin Like hCG this hormone is secreted from very shortly after implantation and therefore relaxin and hPL may be used in combination to ascertain the stage of pregnancies, for example upto and including the 6 weeks stage, in addition the stages identifiable employing hPL alone.
  • relaxin is used in an assay for testing if a sample indicates that the relevant female, from which it was derived, is pregnant and a subsequent test is performed to determine the hPL levels to establish the stage of the pregnancy.
  • the levels of relaxin are at the highest levels around week 10 to 12. Thus in combination with at least hPL and optionally other hormones, for example those described herein, relaxin may be particularly useful in distinguishing pregnancies at the 10 to 12 week stage.
  • estradiol levels become significant by about week 13 of pregnancy and may be used in combination with at least hPL and optionally other hormones, especially those described herein, to identify the relevant stage of the pregnancy.
  • the combination of estradiol and hPL may be particularly useful for, in particular, distinguishing pregnancies at the 13 week stage.
  • the method herein is suitable for identifying a stage of pregnancy in the range 6 to 28 weeks, for example 7 to 24 weeks such as 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 or 23 weeks or combinations thereof.
  • a stage of pregnancy can be identified in the range 1-2, 2-3, 3-6 weeks, wherein the remaining stages are identifiable as per any one of the embodiments described herein.
  • Methods of measuring hormone levels include protein array, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatograph), SDS-Page, Western blotting, and immunoassays.
  • immunoassays There are different forms of immunoassays, for example employing enzymes and/or fluorescence.
  • One particularly sensitive form of immunoassay is an ELISA assays (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), sometimes referred to as a sandwich assay.
  • ELISA assays enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
  • Suitable labels also include coloured particles of material, for example gold sol, dye sol or a coloured polymer such as latex, which accumulates to provide a signal/result, in particular in a detection zone.
  • coloured particles of material for example gold sol, dye sol or a coloured polymer such as latex, which accumulates to provide a signal/result, in particular in a detection zone.
  • the label on the antibody for example employed in the immunoassay may be a radiolabel.
  • the levels of hPL can be established indirectly employing for example QPCR to measure the levels of mRNA in a blood sample.
  • the sample is blood, serum or plasma.
  • the sample is a urine sample.
  • test and/or device should have a sensitivity of 50 IU/L (international units per Litre) such as 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45 IU/L.
  • IU/L international units per Litre
  • an ELISA assay is simple in that an antibody specific to the target molecule is fixed to an insoluble bead (which may be coloured) or surface. The test sample is then introduced and if target molecules are present the antibody binds them. Finally, a second distinct antibody, which is labelled such that is can be detected, is introduced (or may have been present in the test pot) and binds the target molecule in a different location to the first antibody thereby forming a sandwich of the target. Alternatively the second antibody may be directed to the first antibody. Once bound a label is activated and can be detected, measured and quantified, if so desired.
  • the device is a lateral flow device comprising a liquid transport means, for example a porous carrier such as nitrocellulose.
  • test strips comprising the required reagents may be provided in the form of time points and labelled with the relevant stage of pregnancy as shown in FIG. 2 .
  • This uses technology as described in EP 291194 and quantification techniques described in WO 2006/100415.
  • the readout from such as test is quite simple. Therefore, in one embodiment the device comprises multiple results windows, for example wherein each result window is labelled with a time point so the user can readily read the result therefrom and establish the stage without any interpretation.
  • the accumulation of coloured beads in the relevant window or windows may indicate the result.
  • optical density readings may be taken on digital devices either in the laboratory or in handheld disposable devices, for example as described in WO 2007/017648.
  • the device is as shown in FIG. 3 or 4 below, namely a device approximately 12 cm in length and 2 cm.
  • the device comprises a housing ( 2 ), for example formed from an opaque plastic material. At one end of the housing there is provided a narrow opening through which a liquid transport or carrier can protrude beyond the housing for contacting with a sample liquid.
  • a display ( 6 ) for displaying information to the user is releasably attached to the device, such that it can be removed from the device after generation of an assay result. Downward pressure on the resiliently deformable clip ( 8 ) facilitates said removal.
  • the display is such that the result and any other information thereon, can be retained after removal of the display from the device, for future reference.
  • the device housing comprises an analytical assembly labelled ( 10 ), which comprises as circuit board ( 12 ) supporting two LEDs and two photodiodes ( 14 ), aligned with a test zone of a nitrocellulose strip lateral flow strip ( 16 ) which is in liquid flow communication with the sampling portion ( 4 ) of the liquid transport or carrier.
  • the test zone is the zone in which a labelled reagent accumulates in the presence (or absence, as appropriate) of the analyte of interest. This accumulation affects the optical property of the test strip ( 16 ), such as its reflectivity or transmissivity, a property that can be measured by the LED/photodiode arrangement.
  • the arrangement produces an output current, the magnitude of which is related to the amount of label accumulated in the test zone.
  • the analytical assembly ( 10 ) also comprises an electrical power source (button cells 18 ) to provide power to the display ( 6 ) when it is attached to the housing ( 2 ).
  • Grooves ( 20 ) are provided on the top of the housing to accommodate a slight flanged portion of the display ( 6 ).
  • the display ( 6 ) is retained in the housing in a suitably shaped and dimensioned aperture by clip ( 8 ).
  • electrical connectors on the display come into contact with electrical connectors ( 22 ) provided on the housing, thereby ensuring electrical connections between the display ( 6 ) and the analytical assembly ( 10 ).
  • the analytical member ( 10 ) comprises signal transduction components ( 24 ), comprising a data storage buffer, an analogue to digital converter (ADC) and a microprocessor or microcontroller.
  • the display ( 6 ) is responsive to an output from the microprocessor or microcontroller.
  • the disclosure provides a device adapted to establish the approximate stage of a pregnancy from the concentration of at least hPL in a sample, for example comprising one or more elements described herein.
  • the device may optionally provide a positive or negative result, in relation to pregnancy, for example based on hCG.
  • a device employed may comprise reagents for the analysis of hPL and hCG.
  • the analysis can be repeated at different time points to provide evidence that the pregnancy is progressing and the foetus is growing.
  • the result is displayed as a number or range in a window, for example in the form of a digital display.
  • the device is a handle held device, for example a disposable hand held device.
  • the device comprises an anti human placental lactogen antibody, for example a monoclonal antibody.
  • the antibody may optionally be labelled, for example as discussed above.
  • the device comprises a further distinct placental lactogen antibody, for example monoclonal antibody, wherein said further antibody is labelled to allow detection of binding to hPL or a relevant fragment thereof.
  • a second antibody employed may be anti-antibody antibody and for example may be directed at the Fc region of the first antibody.
  • This second antibody may be labelled.
  • each antibody may be labelled.
  • An anti human placental lactogen antibody as employed herein is intended to refer to an antibody specific to said antigen (hPL).
  • a combination of antibodies for example monoclonal antibodies in admixture are employed, directed to the specific hormones to be tested.
  • an antibody employed has a fluorescent label.
  • a further antibody for example to a distinct hormone, is employed with a fluorescent label that emits light a wavelength distinct from the first fluorescently labelled antibody.
  • the assay therein should be robust enough to handle an appropriate range of concentration of relevant hormones, likely to be encountered and provide a result for the end user.
  • the device is accompanied by instructions explaining the latter.
  • test, kit, device and/or reagent may be provided as separately optimised entities for each relevant time point.
  • the optimisation may involve modifying the concentration of reagents employed and/or the combination of hormones employed.
  • the method employed herein may be adapted to detect a decrease in hPL levels in a female, as a means of monitoring the loss or termination of the foetus.
  • the adequate monitoring of the latter can be problematic for medical professionals.
  • a routine test for identifying the decrease in the levels of hPL would therefore be very useful.
  • the disclosure provides use of an anti hPL antibody such as monoclonal antibody, for example a murine, porcine, ovine, bovine, goat, camel, rat, rabbit or other antibody, for use in the quantification of the hPL in a fluid sample, such as a blood, serum, plasma or urine sample, derived from a human female, for example for the purpose of estimating the stage of pregnancy.
  • an anti hPL antibody such as monoclonal antibody, for example a murine, porcine, ovine, bovine, goat, camel, rat, rabbit or other antibody, for use in the quantification of the hPL in a fluid sample, such as a blood, serum, plasma or urine sample, derived from a human female, for example for the purpose of estimating the stage of pregnancy.
  • the antibody employed is directed to the a-subunit of hPL.
  • Mouse Anti-Human placental lactogen (epitope 2) Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone INN-hPL-37 from Abcam, Mouse Anti-Human PLACENTAL LACTOGEN Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone INN-hPL-5 from AbD Serotec, and Mouse Anti-Placental Lactogen (hPL) Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone LIP-603 from Acris Antibodies GmbH.
  • antibodies including monoclonal antibodies can be readily prepared by routine techniques in the relevant technical field, for example by immunizing a host with hPL conjugated to a suitable carrier such as ovalbumin or the like.
  • the antibody employed should be specific to hPL, for example having a cross-reactivity of 1% or less or as appropriate in the circumstances.
  • the disclosure provides a kit comprising a device and/or reagent for testing the concentration hPL in a fluid body sample, derived from a human female, for the purpose of establishing the stage of pregnancy.
  • kits adapted for identifying a drop in hPL levels after loss or termination of a foetus.
  • test/method/device and uses of the present disclosure represent a practical step forward in providing information to individuals in a convenient, cost effective and efficient manner.
  • the reading device is about 12 cm long and about 2 cm wide and is generally finger or cigar-shaped.
  • the housing is no larger than about 12 cm long, about 2.5 cm wide, and about 2.2 cm tall.
  • any convenient shape may be employed, such as a credit card shaped reader.
  • the device comprises a housing 1 formed from a light-impermeable synthetic plastics material (e.g. polycarbonate, ABS, polystyrene, high density polyethylene, or polypropylene or polystyrol containing an appropriate light-blocking pigment, such as carbon).
  • a light-impermeable synthetic plastics material e.g. polycarbonate, ABS, polystyrene, high density polyethylene, or polypropylene or polystyrol containing an appropriate light-blocking pigment, such as carbon).
  • a narrow slot or aperture 3 by which a test strip (not shown) can be inserted into the reader.
  • the reader On its upper face the reader has two oval-shaped apertures.
  • One aperture accommodates the screen of a liquid crystal display 5 which displays information to a user e.g. the results of an assay, in qualitative or quantitative terms.
  • the other aperture accommodates an eject mechanism actuator 7 (in the form of a depressible button), which when actuated, forcibly ejects an inserted assay device from the assay reading device.
  • the test strip for use with the reading device is a generally conventional lateral flow test stick e.g. of the sort disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,271, U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,013, EP 728309, or EP 782707.
  • the test strip and a surface or surfaces of the slot in the reader, into which the test strip is inserted are so shaped and dimensioned that the test strip can only be successfully inserted into the reader in the appropriate orientation.
  • the assay device and a surface or surfaces of the slot in the reader, into which the assay device is inserted may also be so shaped and dimensioned that there is a precise three dimensional alignment of the reader and an inserted assay device, which ensures that the assay result can be read correctly the reader.
  • a switch is closed which activates the reader from a “dormant” mode, which is the normal state adopted by the reader, thereby reducing energy consumption.
  • a reader comprising three LED's.
  • each LED is aligned with a respective zone of the test strip.
  • the first LED is aligned with the test zone
  • the second LED is aligned with the reference zone
  • the third LED is aligned with the control zone.
  • Two photodiodes detect light reflected from the various zones and generate a current, the magnitude of which is proportional to the amount of light incident upon the photodiodes.
  • the current is converted into a voltage, buffered by buffer and fed into an analogue to digital converter (ADC).
  • ADC analogue to digital converter
  • a separate photodiode is provided to detect from each zone (i.e. the number of photodiodes equals the number of zones from which reflected light measurements are made).
  • the number of photodetectors is less than the number of zones.
  • One photodiode detects light reflected from the test zone and some of the light reflected from the reference zone.
  • the other photodiode detects some of the light reflected from the reference zone and the light reflected from the control zone.
  • the microcontroller switches on the LED's one at a time, so that only one of the three zones is illuminated at any given time-in this way the signals generated by light reflected from the respective zones can be discriminated on a temporal basis.
  • a switch which is closed by insertion of an assay device into the reader, and which activates the microcontroller.
  • the device further comprises a power source (typically a button cell or two button cells), and an LCD device responsive to output from the microcontroller.
  • a dry test strip i.e. prior to contacting the sample
  • the intensity of light output from different LED's is rarely identical.
  • the photodetectors are unlikely to have identical sensitivities. Because such variation could affect the assay reading an initial calibration is effected, in which the microcontroller adjusts the length of time that each of the three LED's is illuminated, so that the measured signal from each of the three zones (test, reference and control) is approximately equal and at a suitable operating position in a linear region of the response profile of the system (such that a change in intensity of light reflected from the various zones produces a directly proportional change in signal).
  • a sample receiving portion of the test strip is contacted with the liquid sample.
  • the sample receiving portion may be held in a urine stream, or a urine sample collected in a receptacle and the sample receiving portion briefly (about 5-10 seconds) immersed in the sample.
  • Sampling may be performed whilst the test strip is inserted in the reader or, less preferably, the strip can be briefly removed from the reader for sampling and then reintroduced into the reader.
  • Measurements of reflected light intensity from one or more (preferably all three) of the zones are then commenced, typically after a specific timed interval following insertion of the test strip into the reader. Desirably the measurements are taken at regular intervals (e.g.
  • the measurements are made as a sequence of many readings over short (10 milliseconds or less) periods of time, interleaved zone by zone, thereby minimising any effects due to variation of ambient light intensity which may penetrate into the interior of the reader housing.
  • SEQUENCE ID No. 1 10 20 30 40 MAPGSRTSLL LAFALLCLPW LQEAGAVQTV PLSRLFDHAM 50 60 70 80 LQAHRAHQLA IDTYQEFEET YIPKDQKYSF LHDSQTSFCF 90 100 110 120 SDSIPTPSNM EETQQKSNLE LLRISLLLIE SWLEPVRFLR 130 140 150 160 SMFANNLVYD TSDSDDYHLL KDLEEGIQTL MGRLEDGSRR 170 180 190 200 TGQILKQTYS KFDTNSHNHD ALLKWYGLLY CFRKDMDKVE 210 TFLRTVQCRS VEGSCGF

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US13/129,732 2008-11-17 2009-11-16 Pregnancy testing Abandoned US20110287434A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0820999.1A GB0820999D0 (en) 2008-11-17 2008-11-17 Pregnancy testing
GB0820999.1 2008-11-17
PCT/GB2009/051548 WO2010055355A1 (en) 2008-11-17 2009-11-16 Pregnancy testing

Related Parent Applications (1)

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PCT/GB2009/051548 A-371-Of-International WO2010055355A1 (en) 2008-11-17 2009-11-16 Pregnancy testing

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