A detection method of gold nanoparticles in chromatography paper has been developed for a simple, cost-effective and reliable quantitation of immunochromatographic strip test. The time courses of the solution resistance in chromatography paper with the gold nanoparticles solution are electrochemically measured by chrono-impedimetry. The dependence of the solution resistance on the concentration of gold nanoparticles has been successfully observed. The main factor to increase the solution resistance may be obstruction of the ion transport due to the presence of gold nanoparticles. The existence of gold nanoparticles with 1.92 × 10 9 particles/mL in an indistinctly-colored chromatography paper is also identified by a solution resistance measurement. This indicates that the solution resistance assay has the potential to lower the detection limit of the conventional qualitative assay.Keywords Immunochromatography, chromatography paper, gold nanoparticles, solution resistance

The principle of the quantitative immunochromatographic strip test (IST) is proposed. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is shown to be capable of detecting latex beads in chromatography paper, where latex beads can serve as a label in IST. Measurements to examine the impedance changes in the absence and presence of latex beads are conducted. In the presence of latex beads, an increase of 12.5% in the bulk solution resistance is observed. This indicates that the latex-bead-labeled antigen–antibody complex can be detected electrochemically by actual IST.