Rapid assay for detection of endotoxins

Abstract

The presently claimed invention is an apparatus and method for the detection of endotoxin via a competitive assay.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for detecting endotoxin in a concentration by a competitive assay, said process comprising the steps of: (1) immobilizing polymyxin B upon a substrate under a phosphate-buffered saline solutions;   (2) introducing at time =t 0 , a standard sample of one or more labelled endotoxin molecules labelled with TRITC (LEM) and an analyte sample containing or suspected of containing one or more analyte endotoxin molecules over said one or more immobilized polymyxin B to form one or more polymyxin B--LEM complexes and, if any analyte endotoxin molecules are present in the analyte sample, to form one or more polymyxin B--analyte endotoxin molecule complexes in phosphate-buffered saline;   (3) measuring at time =t 1  the amount of one or more polymyxin B--LEM complexes formed wherein t 4  ≦ (t 1  -T 0 ) ≦ t 3  minutes, wherein t 3  is a time =t 3  and wherein t 4  is a time =t 4  ; and   (4) calculating the amount, if any, of the polymyxn B--analyte endotoxin molecule complexes formed.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate is an optical fiber.