Changeable machine readable assaying indicia

Abstract

A machine readable assaying system comprising a test card having machine readable assaying means. A plurality of individual analysis strips, each strip comprising antibodies and/or reagents capable of indicating the positive presence of distinct illicit substances form a pattern of elements including one or more fixed strips and one or more blank regions. The detection of the presence of a particular substance or drug will result in one or more of the analysis strips changing from a first (light reflective) color to a second darker (light absorbent) color. The pattern of analysis strips, fixed strips and blank regions may be provided to encode one or more characters/digits of information. By the inclusion of the analysis strips with the plurality of fixed strips and blank regions, the detection of one or more illicit substances may alter the overall pattern of fixed and test strips and blank regions, and hence cause the encoded information represented thereby to be altered. Accordingly, the particular pattern of bars and spaces that result from an exposure the physiological fluids of a donor is contemplated to produce a distinct machine readable indicia. The transformation which occurs on the test card will be uninterpretable by the administrator of the test, thus preserving the anonymity and privacy of the tested individual.

1 . A method of carrying out a test to detect for the presence or absence of a target substance in a human donor-derived physiological sample, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing: (1) a test surface adapted to contact said sample and having at least one machine-readable indicium thereon, said indicium having an initial state and being capable of changing to an altered state in response to contact with said sample; and (2) a scanning unit capable of scanning said machine-readable indicium on said surface, said scanning unit including a programmed processor and a memory unit;    contacting said test surface with said sample; and    after said contacting step, using said scanning unit to scan said at least one indicium, and operating said processor to generate test data as a result of said scan,    said indicium being machine-readable only and not human interpretable in the absence of said machine reading.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , including the step of transmitting said test data to data storage separate from said scanning unit.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , said transmitting step comprising the step of transmitting the test data over a communications link.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sample is a fluid sample.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , said surface having a plurality of machine-readable indicia thereon.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , said sample being a urine sample.  
     
     
         7 . Apparatus for carrying out a test to detect for the presence or absence of a target substance in a human donor-derived physiological sample, said apparatus comprising: 
 a test surface adapted to contact said sample and having at least one machine-readable indicium thereon, said indicium having an initial state and being capable of changing to an altered state in response to contact with said sample; and    a scanning unit capable of scanning said machine-readable indicium on said surface, said scanning unit including a programmed processor and a memory unit,    said scanning unit, operable, upon scanning of said test surface previously contacted with said sample, to generate said test data through operation of said processor.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , including structure for transmitting said test data to data storage separate from said scanning unit.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , said structure comprising a communications link.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , said surface adapted for contacting a fluid sample.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , said surface having a plurality of machine-readable indicia thereon.