METHOD FOR INCREASING THE DYNAMIC MEASURING RANGE OF TEST ELEMENTS, ESPECIALLY IMMUNOLOGICAL TEST ELEMENTS, THAT ARE BASED ON SPECIFIC BINDING REACTIONS

摘要

The invention relates to a method for increasing the dynamic measuring rangeof test elements, especially immunological test elements, especially opticallyreadable immunological chromatography strips, that are based on specificbonding reactions. The invention allows to displace the dynamic test range ofespecially immunological test elements that are based on specific bindingreactions towards higher analyte concentrations without forfeitingsensitivity. For this purpose, at least two zones in or on the test elementare provided and contain reagents that produce differently strong detectablesignals due to different affinities to the analyte (for example in the case ofantibodies that have different affinity to the analyte) or due to differentprinciples of interaction with the analyte or with other reagents involved inthe detection of the analyte (for example antibodies directed to the analytein one zone and analyte or analyte analog in a different zone). The signals inthe at least two zones are used for evaluation of the analyteconcentration/signal strength correlation and used for determining the analyteby way of a suitable method (correlation).