[Electro chemiluminescence immunoassay].

Boehringer Mannheim is starting into a new age of immunoassay systems. A new immunoassay technology should allow the development of random access immunoassay analyzers with short incubation times. To satisfy the such matter, we have found a new technology ECL (Electro ChemiLuminescence). This technology has been licensed to Boehringer Mannheim by IGEN inc. (Maryland, USA). It's based on a microparticle solid phase coated streptavidin and a very promising complete new electro chemiluminescence technology. The ruthenium complex label used in the system will enables extremely stable reagents compared to enzyme conjugates. The test principle is the following : 1) pipette a sample, biotinylated antibodies, antibodies labeled ruthenium complex, and streptavidin coated microparticles into a reaction cup, 2) after incubation, the reaction mixture is aspirated into an electrochemical measuring cell, and unbound conjugate are washed away by tripropylamine (TPA) and a magnet, 3) by applying a potential to electrode, the ruthenium complex become to exciting stage, and the signal generation initiates. The analyzers using this technology have developed 2 type of fully automated instrument. The use of this new technology and these analyzers will make immunoassay analyses as convenient as clinical chemistry.