SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF THE TEST:

The DOA rapid test is an easy, fast, qualitative, visually read competitive binding immunoassay method for screening without the need of instrumentation. The method employs unique mixture of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to selectively identify the drugs of abuse and their metabolites in test samples with a high degree of sensitivity.

Drug abuse remains a growing social and economical concern in many developed and developing countries throughout the world. The above stated drugs are among the most frequently abused illicit drugs, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Opiates are among a class of heavily abused prescription drugs.

The sensitivity of the DOA rapid Test is set as required for the screening immunoassays of these drugs in the reference guidelines set by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

PRINCIPLE OF THE TEST:

The DOA rapid Test is a competitive binding immunoassay in which drug and drug metabolites in a urine sample compete with immobilized drug conjugate for limited labeled antibody binding sites. By utilizing antibodies that are specific to different drug classes, the test permits independent, simultaneous detection of six drugs from a single sample. The approximate run time is 5 minutes.

In the assay procedure, urine mixes with labeled antibody-dye conjugate and migrates along a porous membrane. When the concentration of a given drug is below the detection limit of the test, unbound antibody-dye conjugate binds to antigen conjugate immobilized on the membrane, producing a rose-pink color band in the appropriate Test Zone for that drug. Conversely, when the drug level is at or above the detection limit, free drug competes with the immobilized antigen conjugate on the membrane by binding to antibody-dye conjugate, forming an antigen- antibody complex, preventing the development of a rose-pink color band.