Method and means for creating fluid transport

1. A device for handling a fluid to be assayed, said device comprising:

a non-porous substrate having a substrate surface;

at least one open fluid passage integrated into said substrate, said at least one fluid passage having a first end at which fluid is added to said device and a second end opposite said first end, said at least one open fluid passage being capable of supporting capillary flow; and

at least one separate absorbing zone in fluid contact with said second end of said at least one open fluid passage, said at least one open fluid passage, including said at least one absorbing zone each comprising a plurality of projections substantially perpendicular to said substrate surface, said plurality of projections each having a height, diameter and a distance or distances between the projections, capable of generating capillary flow, lateral to said substrate surface, of a fluid added to the first end of said at least one open fluid passage and contacting said at least one absorbing zone in fluid contact with said second end of said at least one open fluid passage, and a foil directly placed on the top of the perpendicular projections of said at least one absorbing zone, said foil being solely and fully supported upon the projections and having hydrophilic properties to influence the flow velocity of fluid along said substrate surface from said first end to said second end of said open fluid passage and to accurately limit the fluid volume defined by said projections and in which said substrate, said at least one open fluid passage, and said at least one separate absorbing zone are made from the same material.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device is a disposable assay device or a part of such device.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device comprises parallel fluid passages leading to the same absorbing zone or to sections of the same absorbing zone.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device comprises parallel fluid passages leading to two or more absorbing zones made up of said projections, each of said absorbing zones exhibiting the same or different absorption capacity.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein one or both absorbing zones are covered by said foil upon said projections, the absorbing zones exhibiting the same or different fluid capacity.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid capacity of the absorbing zone is at least equal to the volume of fluid to be transported.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the volume of sample delivered along the at least one fluid passage is determined by the at least one absorbing capacity of the absorbing zone, and not by the amount of sample added to the device.

8. A method for maintaining and promoting fluid transport in an assay device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one open fluid passage on a non-porous substrate defining said device and having a substrate surface, said at least one open fluid passage having a first end and a second end opposite said first end capable of supporting capillary flow;

separately providing at least one absorbing zone in fluid contact with said second end of said at least one fluid passage, said at least one open fluid passage, including said at least one absorbing zone including a plurality of projections extending substantially perpendicular to said substrate surface, said projections having a height, diameter and distance or distances between said projections to spontaneously induce lateral capillary flow of a fluid placed in contact with the first end of said open fluid passage, each of said at least one fluid passage and absorbing zone being made from the same material as that of said non-porous substrate;

placing a foil directly upon the top of said perpendicular projections of said at least one absorbing zone, said foil being solely and fully supported upon the projections of said absorbing zone;

influencing the flow velocity of fluid added to said device along said at least one fluid passage by selection of hydrophilic properties of the foil; and

establishing and maintaining fluid transport in said at least one open fluid passage of a volume of fluid from said first end toward said second end of said at least one fluid passage, wherein said fluid transport is established and maintained by the absorbing capacity of said at least one provided absorbing zone and not by the volume of fluid added to the first end.

9. The method according to claim 8 , including the step of making said substrate a part of a disposable assay device.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said device comprises parallel passages leading to the same absorbing zone or to sections of the same zone, exhibiting the same or different absorption capacity.

11. The method according to claim 8 , including at least two absorbing zones separately disposed on said device, each said absorbing zone being made up of said projections, said method including the step of covering one or both absorbing zones by a foil, the zones exhibiting the same or different absorbing capacity.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the capacity of the at least one absorbing zone is at least equal to the volume of fluid to be transported.

13. A device for handling a fluid to be assayed, said device comprising:

a non-porous substrate having a substrate surface;

at least one open fluid passage integral to said substrate, said at least one fluid passage having a first end and a second end opposite said first end in which fluid transport is initiated and maintained in a flow direction from the first end toward said second end of said at least one fluid passage;

at least one separate absorbing zone, said at least one absorbing zone being integral to said substrate and in fluid contact with said second end of said at least one fluid passage, said at least one open fluid passage and said at least one absorbing zone comprising a plurality of projections having a height, diameter and a spacing between the projections that spontaneously produces capillary flow, in a direction which is lateral to said substrate surface, of a fluid placed in contact with said first end of said at least one open fluid passage, said at least one fluid passage and said at least one absorbing zone being made from the same material as said substrate; and

a foil directly placed onto at least a portion of the plurality of projections of said at least one absorbing zone, said foil being solely and fully supported by the projections of said absorbing zone and having hydrophilic properties for influencing the flow velocity of fluid along said at least one fluid passage from said first end to said second end of said device.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the volume of fluid delivered along the at least one fluid passage is determined by the absorbing capacity of the at least one absorbing zone, and not by the amount of fluid added to the device for transport at the first end of said at least one fluid passage.