Raman-active lateral flow device and methods of detection

• US 20070059203A1
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mondello, Frank, Lee, Yuan-Hsiang, Burrell, Michael, Engel, Patrick, Pris, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/658 enhancement Raman, e.g. surface plasmons

Abstract

A lateral flow device is disclosed. The lateral flow device includes a substrate having a flow path and a detection zone disposed along the flow path. The detection zone includes an immobilized target-binding moiety directed against a target of a Raman-active complex. Also disclosed is a method of conducting a lateral flow assay and detection system. The method includes i) defining a flow path having a detection zone; ii) flowing a sample down the flow path; and iii) immobilizing a Raman-active complex if present, at the detection zone. The sample includes a Raman-active complex or a Raman-active tag.

Claims

1. A lateral flow device comprising:

a substrate having a flow path; and

a detection zone disposed along the flow path, wherein the detection zone comprises an immobilized target-binding moiety directed against a target of a Raman-active complex.

2. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the target comprises at least one target selected from a group consisting of prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells, viruses, proteins, polypeptides, toxins, liposomes, nucleic acids, and beads.

3. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the immobilized target-binding moiety comprises at least one moiety selected from a group consisting of antibodies, aptamers, nucleic acids, selective ligands, and polypeptides.

4. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the detection zone comprises a plurality of immobilized target-binding moieties.

5. The lateral flow device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of immobilized target-binding moieties are directed against targets different from each other.

6. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the detection zone comprises a plurality of detection zones.

7. The lateral flow device of claim 1, further comprising a control zone disposed along the flow path down flow from the detection zone, wherein the control zone comprises an immobilized particle-binding-moiety directed against a Raman-active tag.

8. The lateral flow device of claim 7, wherein the control zone comprises a plurality of immobilized particle-binding moieties.

9. The lateral flow device of claim 7, wherein the detection zone and control zone are at least partially spatially co-located.

10. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises nitrocellulose membrane.

11. The lateral flow device of claim 1, wherein the target is attached to a plurality of Raman-active tags.

12. A detection system comprising:

a lateral flow device comprising;

a substrate having a flow path;

a detection zone disposed along the flow path, wherein the detection zone comprises an immobilized target-binding moiety directed against a target of a Raman-active complex; and

a raman spectrometer capable of detecting a Raman-active complex at the detection zone.

13. The detection system of claim 12, wherein the lateral flow device further comprises a control zone disposed along the flow path down flow from the detection zone, wherein the control zone comprises an immobilized particle-binding-moiety directed against a Raman-active tag.

14. The detection system of claim 12, wherein the detection zone comprises a plurality of immobilized target-binding moieties directed against targets different from each other.

15. A method of conducting a lateral flow assay comprising:

i) defining a flow path having a detection zone;

ii) flowing a sample down the flow path, wherein the sample comprise a Raman-active complex or a Raman-active tag; and

iii) immobilizing a Raman-active complex, if present, at the detection zone.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating a Raman spectrum of the Raman-active complex from the detection zone.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising correlating the Raman spectrum to a presence of a target.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising correlating the Raman spectrum to an identification of the target.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising correlating the Raman spectrum to a quantity of the target.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the sample comprises a plurality of Raman-active complexes attached to a plurality of targets.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating a plurality of Raman spectrums, wherein the plurality of Raman spectrums correlate to the presence of a plurality of targets different from each other.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising correlating the plurality of Raman spectrums to an identification of the plurality of targets different from each other.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising correlating the plurality of Raman spectrums to a quantification of the plurality of targets different from each other.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein flowing the sample comprising providing the Raman-active tags unattached to a target and Raman-active complex simultaneously.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein flowing the sample comprising providing the Raman-active tags unattached to a target and Raman-active complex sequentially.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the Raman-active complex is provided by a target and Raman-active particle.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein immobilizing the Raman-active complex at the detection zone comprises providing a detection zone having an immobilized target-binding moiety capable of attaching to the target of the Raman-active complex.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising a control zone down flow from the detection zone and immobilizing a Raman-active tag at the control zone.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein immobilizing the Raman-active tag at the control zone comprises providing a control zone having an immobilized particle-binding moiety capable of attaching to the Raman-active tag.

30. The method of claim 15, wherein the target-binding moiety comprises at least one moiety selected from a group consisting of antibodies, aptamers, nucleic acids, selective ligands, and polypeptides.

31. A method of detecting the presence of a target, comprising:

i) conducting a lateral flow assay having a flow path,

wherein the flow path has a plurality of detection zones; and

ii) flowing a sample down the flow path, wherein the sample comprises a Raman-active complex or a Raman-active tag; and

wherein the sample is suspected of having a plurality of targets.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising immobilizing a Raman-active complex, if present, at the detection zone.