The system utilizes Revive medium, which provides Salmonella with readily available nutrients and other factors required for its recovery from a stressed or injured condition. After a brief enrichment in Revive, selective enrichment in Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) then favors Salmonella growth to levels detectable by the Reveal test device.

For certain matrices, the initial nonselective enrichment step may be bypassed and the sample introduced directly into the RV medium.

Another enrichment option enables the Reveal test device to detect Salmonella spp. in matrices that are more difficult due to viscosity, pigment, or containing an extremely high level of nonviable cells. M-broth was selected for post enrichment as it is established in several standard procedures recommended in enzyme assays used in the food industry.

A portion (200 µL) of the enrichment culture is placed into the sample cup. The test device is placed into the sample and allowed to develop at ambient temperature for 15 minutes. The sample is wicked through a reagent zone that contains specific anti-Salmonella antibodies conjugated to colloidal gold particles. If antigens are present in the sample, they will bind to the gold-conjugated antibodies. This antigen-antibody complex then leaves the reagent zone and travels through the nitrocellulose membrane which contains a zone of anti-Salmonella antibodies. The immune complex with gold conjugate is captured and aggregates in this zone, thus displaying a visible line. The remainder of the sample continues to migrate to the end of the membrane where it is deposited into a waste reservoir.

The reagent zone also contains gold conjugate of a proprietary antigen, which is eluted by the sample regardless of the presence of Salmonella antigen. The gold-conjugated control indicator migrates through the membrane to the negative control capture zone (antibody to the proprietary antigen), where it is captured and aggregated to form a visible line. Regardless of the presence or absence of the Salmonella antigen, the control line will form in the control zone, ensuring the test is working properly.