A low budget luminometer for sensitive chemiluminescent immunoassays

We have designed a simple luminometer based on a reasonably priced Peltier-cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, housed in a light-tight box, with straightforward lens imaging and a simple platform for a microtitre or other assay format. The quantitative readout of the CCD image is recorded on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of immunological methods 2000-02, Vol.234 (1), p.35-42
Main Authors: Porakishvili, Nino, Fordham, John L.A, Charrel, Marie, Delves, Peter J, Lund, Torben, Roitt, Ivan M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antigens - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Biotechnology
Chemiluminescent immunoassay
Chorionic Gonadotropin - immunology
Costs and Cost Analysis
ELISA
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Health. Pharmaceutical industry
Humans
Immunoassay - economics
Immunoassay - instrumentation
Immunoassay - methods
Immunological technics applied to diagnosis
Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects
Luminescent Measurements
Luminometer
Rabbits
Robotics
Sensitivity and Specificity
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Summary:We have designed a simple luminometer based on a reasonably priced Peltier-cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, housed in a light-tight box, with straightforward lens imaging and a simple platform for a microtitre or other assay format. The quantitative readout of the CCD image is recorded on a PC using customised software. The instrument can be assembled in a standard university workshop for under £3000, compared with the cheapest commercial instruments retailing at £10,000 and above. Consistent with the general view on chemiluminescent assays, the sensitivity is 10–100 times greater than that obtained with parallel ELISA's using a chromogenic substrate. A unique feature of the CCD format is that it enables assays to be carried out on arrays of minidots and even nanodots of antigen on the floor of each microtitre well. This permits direct comparison and standardisation of reactivity of a single sample against several antigens and economy in the use of reagents, test sample and technician time; finger-prick samples of blood can be analysed. The instrument should have widespread applicability in developing countries and, indeed, in any laboratories with hard-pressed budgets.
ISSN:0022-1759
1872-7905
DOI:10.1016/S0022-1759(99)00198-2