The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 07, 2014
Filed:
Aug. 17, 2010
Xuedong Song, Alpharetta, GA (US);
Ning Wei, Roswell, GA (US);
Ronnie L. Phillips, Atlanta, GA (US);
Xuedong Song, Alpharetta, GA (US);
Ning Wei, Roswell, GA (US);
Ronnie L. Phillips, Atlanta, GA (US);
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc., Neenah, WI (US);
Abstract
A lateral flow assay device for determining the relative ionic strength of urine is described. The device includes a buffering zone having a polyelectrolyte disposed therein, and an indicator zone having a pH indicator non-diffusively immobilized therein, the indicator zone being separate from the buffering zone and positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with the buffering zone. A detection zone is part of the buffering zone, and has a buffering component comprising a weak polymeric acid and weak polymeric base with a pKa ≦10, and a class of charged polymeric surfactants that are responsive to relative ion concentrations in a sample solution, and a charged pH indicator with a charge opposite to that of the charged polymeric surfactant. The charged polymeric surfactant is soluble in amounts of greater than or equal to about 1% by weight (≧1 wt. % solute) in water and aqueous solutions of low ionic concentration of ≦0.1 wt. % salts, but insoluble (<1 wt. % solute) in aqueous solution of high ionic concentrations of >0.1 wt. % salts. The present invention also describes absorbent articles incorporating such an assay device and methods of monitoring dehydration or testing ion strength of a urine sample using such a test format.