US 12,066,434 B2
QMAX assays and applications
Stephen Y. Chou, Princeton, NJ (US); Wei Ding, East Windsor, NJ (US); Yufan Zhang, Monmouth Junction, NJ (US); and Ji Qi, Hillsborough, NJ (US)
Assigned to Essenlix Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ (US)
Appl. No. 16/484,678
Filed by Essenlix Corporation, Monmouth Junction, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 8, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/017499
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 8, 2019,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/152005, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 23, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,528, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,537, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,631, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,628, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/456,585, filed on Feb. 8, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0319176 A1, Oct. 8, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/543 (2006.01); G01N 1/40 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G01N 21/65 (2006.01); G01N 21/69 (2006.01); G01N 21/76 (2006.01); G01N 33/558 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/54366 (2013.01) [G01N 1/405 (2013.01); G01N 21/648 (2013.01); G01N 21/65 (2013.01); G01N 21/69 (2013.01); G01N 21/76 (2013.01); G01N 33/558 (2013.01)] 46 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for performing a competitive assay, comprising:
a first plate, a second plate, spacers, a binding site, and a competitive agent, wherein:
(a) the first plate and the second plate are movable relative to each other into different configurations, wherein each of the plates has a sample contact area for contacting a sample that contains or is suspected of containing a target analyte;
(b) one or both of the sample contact areas has the binding site, wherein the binding site comprises an immobilized capture agent that binds a target analyte in a sample;
(c) the competitive agent that is capable of, upon contacting the sample, diffusing in the sample, wherein the competitive agent competes with the analyte for binding to the capture agent at the binding site;
wherein the spacers have a predetermined height of and has an average thickness in a range of 0.01 to 200 μm;
wherein at least one of the spacers is located inside one of the sample contact areas, and the spacers have a predetermined inter-spacer distance (ISD);
wherein at least one of the first and second plates is a flexible plate, the flexible plate having a thickness and Young's modulus, and a fourth power of the ISD divided by the thickness of the flexible plate (h) and the Young's modulus (E) of the flexible plate, ISD4/(hE) is equal to or less than 106 μm3/GPa, and the thickness of the flexible plate times the Young's modulus of the flexible plate is in a range of 60 to 750 GPa-μm,
wherein one of the configurations is an open configuration; in the open configuration, the first and second plates are partially or entirely separated apart so that a spacing between the sample contact areas of the first and second plates is larger than 300 μm; and
wherein another configuration is a closed configuration; in the closed configuration, the first and second plates are operable to compress the sample into a layer of substantially uniform thickness regulated by the spacers, and the spacing between the sample contact areas of the first and second plates is 200 μm or less.