US 12,442,734 B1
Analyte detection apparatus
Ahmad Hussain, Marina Del Rey, CA (US); Jeremy Ridley, Philadelphia, PA (US); Chris Kolb, Philadelphia, PA (US); Justin Bechstein, Philadelphia, PA (US); Ayan Bhandari, Redwood City, CA (US); Stefan Grady Foulstone, San Francisco, CA (US); and Rose Olivieri, Philadelphia, PA (US)
Assigned to Defense Diagnostic Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed by Defense Diagnostics Inc., Plano, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 18, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/242,004.
Application 19/242,004 is a continuation of application No. 18/983,041, filed on Dec. 16, 2024.
Application 18/983,041 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/612,468, filed on Mar. 21, 2024, granted, now 12,208,384, issued on Jan. 28, 2025.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/531,853, filed on Aug. 10, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/454,305, filed on Mar. 23, 2023.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01N 1/38 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G01N 1/02 (2006.01); G01N 21/77 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 1/38 (2013.01) [B01L 3/502715 (2013.01); B01L 3/502738 (2013.01); G01N 1/02 (2013.01); G01N 21/77 (2013.01); B01L 2300/0825 (2013.01); G01N 2001/386 (2013.01); G01N 2021/7759 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An analyte detection apparatus configured for testing a substance for the presence or absence of at least one target analyte, the apparatus comprising:
a housing;
a mixing chamber positioned within the housing, the mixing chamber temporarily storing a volume of the substance and a volume of a delivery fluid;
a testing chamber positioned within the housing and in selective fluid communication with the mixing chamber, the testing chamber containing a test medium therewithin for visually indicating the presence or absence of the at least one target analyte within the substance;
a first end of the housing providing a chamber opening in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and providing access thereto;
an end cap removably engageable with the first end of the housing;
an elongate collection scoop providing at least one substance receptacle for receiving an appropriate volume of the substance;
the mixing chamber providing a mixing aperture;
the testing chamber providing a testing aperture in selective fluid communication with the mixing aperture;
a mixing valve positioned inline between the mixing aperture and the testing aperture within the housing, the mixing valve slidably positioned within the mixing aperture for selectively moving between one of a closed position—wherein the mixing valve is positioned within the mixing aperture so as to obstruct fluid communication between the mixing aperture and testing aperture—and an open position—wherein the mixing valve is slidably moved within the mixing aperture so as to place the mixing aperture in fluid communication with the testing aperture, allowing an appropriate volume of the substance to travel through each of the mixing aperture and testing aperture and into the testing chamber; and
the housing providing at least one result window which provides visual access into the testing chamber;
whereby, during use of the apparatus, an appropriate volume of the substance is collected via the at least one substance receptacle of the collection scoop, the collection scoop is inserted into the mixing chamber thereby introducing the volume of substance from the collection scoop into the mixing chamber, the end cap is engaged with the first end of the housing, the substance is mixed with the delivery fluid within the mixing chamber, and the mixing valve is moved into the open position, allowing an appropriate volume of the substance to travel into the testing chamber and come into contact with the test medium, with a resulting visual indication from the test medium being viewable via the at least one result window.