1. A method of testing a sample to determine the presence andor amount of an antibody to a fungal antigen, the method comprising:
a) contacting the fungal antigen with an oxidizing agent in a suitable device to produce an oxidized fungal antigen attached to the surface of the device, wherein said oxidized fungal antigen attached to said device is suitable for testing an antibody to the fungal antigen;
b) contacting a sample suspected of containing an antibody to a fungus with the device containing the attached oxidized fungal antigen produced in step b) under suitable conditions to allow binding of the antibody, if present in the sample, to the oxidized fungal antigen; and
c) assessing binding between the antibody and the oxidized fungal antigen to determine the presence andor amount of the antibody in the sample.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said fungal antigen is a pathogenic fungus.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample is a clinical sample.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sample is a human clinical sample.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fungal antigen has not been purified from the culture filtrate.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is periodate.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the binding between the antibody and the oxidized fungal antigen is assessed by a sandwich or competitive assay format.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the binding between the antibody and the oxidized fungal antigen is assessed by a format selected from the group consisting of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, radioimmunoassay (RIA), immunostaining, latex agglutination, indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA), complement fixation, indirect immnunofluorescent assay (FA), nephelometry, flow cytometry assay, chemiluminescence assay, lateral flow immunoassay, u-capture assay, inhibition assay and avidity assay.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the binding between the antibody and the oxidized fungal antigen is assessed by an ELISA format.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing having a front end and a back end;
a drive mechanism housed at least partially within said housing, said drive mechanism comprising:
a crank configured to move in a circular path;
means for creating a circular motion in said crank;
a rocker arm having a first end and a second end, said rocker arm being rotatably coupled at a first location on said rocker arm to said housing; and
an armature having a first end and a second end, said armature being rotatably coupled at a first location on said armature to said crank, and said armature being rotatably coupled at a second location on said armature to a second location on said rocker arm; and
a massage head;
wherein said armature and said massage head are configured to be directly coupled to one another.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said armature is rotatably coupled at a third location on said armature to a third location on said rocker arm.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for creating a circular motion in said crank comprises:
a motor mounted within said housing; and
a gear drive coupled to said motor and to said crank.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said gear drive comprises:
a first gear coupled to a motor shaft extending from said motor; and
a second gear coupled to an axle that is mounted within said housing;
wherein said first gear and said second gear are mounted within said housing in such a manner that said first gear meshes with said second gear.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:
said first gear comprises a worm; and
said second gear comprises a worm gear.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said motor comprises a standard DC motor.
7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:
said first gear comprises a bevel pinion gear; and
said second gear comprises a bevel gear.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said motor comprises a gear motor.
9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said crank is coupled to said second gear.
10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said armature comprises:
an armature body having a first end and a second end;
a first arm having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first arm being coupled to said second end of said armature body; and
a second arm having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second arm being coupled to said second end of said armature body.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said armature body and said massage head are configured to be directly coupled to one another.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said armature body comprises:
a concave top surface;
first and second convex side surfaces;
a flat bottom surface;
a rounded tip; and
a flat back surface;
wherein a first concave groove is formed in said first convex side surface, and a second concave groove is formed in said second convex side surface.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said massage head comprises a massage head body having a cavity formed therein, said cavity being configured to tightly house said armature body.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein a first hole is formed in said first arm of said armature near its second end, said first hole being configured to receive said crank.
15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said rocker arm comprises:
a cylindrical base having a first end and a second end;
a first arm having a first end and a second end, said first end of said first arm of said rocker arm being orthogonally coupled to said first end of said cylindrical base, and said second end of said first arm of said rocker arm having a first projection coupled thereto; and
a second arm having a first end and a second end, said first end of said second arm of said rocker arm being orthogonally coupled to said second end of said cylindrical base, and said second end of said second arm of said rocker arm having a second projection coupled thereto.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said rocker arm is rotatably coupled to said housing by a rocker cap.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said cylindrical base of said rocker arm is positioned between a semi-cylindrical groove formed in a rocker arm support extending forward from said front end of said housing and a semi-cylindrical groove formed in said rocker cap, and said rocker cap is coupled to said rocker arm support.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a second hole is formed in said first arm of said armature between its first end and said first hole, said second hole of said first arm being configured to receive said first projection of said rocker arm.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein a third hole is formed in said second arm of said armature near its second end, said third hole of said second arm being coaxial with said second hole of said first arm and configured to receive said second projection of said rocker arm.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first end of said armature extends through an opening formed in said front end of said housing, and said second end of said armature is supported within said housing.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said massage head comprises a massage head body having a front end and a back end, said massage head body and said armature being configured to be directly coupled to one another.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said massage head further comprises a tubular wall extending backward from said back end of said massage head body, said tubular wall and said housing being configured to be coupled to one another.
23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein at least one corrugation is formed in said tubular wall of said massage head.
24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein an internal flange is formed near said back end of said tubular wall of said massage head, said internal flange being configured to be received into an external groove formed near said front end of said housing.
25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein at least one ridge is formed around the outer surface of said tubular wall near said back end of said tubular wall.
26. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a three-way rocker switch configured to control electrical communication between a power supply and said motor, said three-way rocker switch comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal; and
a third terminal.
27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein:
said first terminal of said three-way rocker switch is electrically coupled to a first terminal of said motor;
said second terminal of said three-way rocker switch is electrically coupled to a first terminal of said power supply;
said first terminal of said three-way rocker switch is electrically coupled to said third terminal of said three-way rocker switch through a diode; and
a second terminal of said motor is coupled to a second terminal of said power supply.
28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
said circular path of said crank defines a first plane; and
said first end of said armature is configured to move in a closed plane path when said crank moves in said circular path, said closed plane path defining a second plane;
wherein said first plane is parallel to said second plane.
29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein said massage head comprises:
a massage head body having a front end and a back end; and
a tubular wall having a front end and a back end, said tubular wall extending backward from said back end of said massage head body, said tubular wall and said housing being configured to be coupled to one another;
and wherein said tubular wall is configured to deform when said crank moves in said circular path so as to allow said massage head body to follow said closed plane path of said first end of said armature.
30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said massage head is formed of silicone rubber.
31. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said massage head body has an outer surface that simulates the shape of a human tongue.
32. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said massage head has an outer surface that is at least partially textured to simulate the papillae on a human tongue.
33. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said massage head body has a top surface having a shallow groove formed lengthwise along its centerline to simulate the median sulcus on a human tongue.
34. An apparatus comprising:
a housing having a front end and a back end;
a drive mechanism housed at least partially within said housing, said drive mechanism comprising:
a crank configured to move in a circular path;
means for creating a circular motion in said crank;
a rocker arm having a first end and a second end, said rocker arm being rotatably coupled at a first location on said rocker arm to said housing; and
an armature having a first end and a second end, said armature being rotatably coupled at a first location on said armature to said crank, said first location on said armature being at or near said second end of said armature, and said armature being rotatably coupled at a second location on said armature to a second location on said rocker arm, said second location on said armature being an intermediate location between said first end and said second end of said armature; and
a massage head;
wherein said armature and said massage head are configured to be coupled to one another.