LABELLED BEADS

• US 20090263816A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanoco Technologies Limited (Nanoco Group Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nanoco Technologies Limited (Nanoco Group Plc)
• Inventors: Pickett, Nigel, Sutherland, Andrew James
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,844 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/585 with a particulate label, e.g. coloured latex

Abstract

A labelled polymeric bead wherein individual beads comprise a primary particle formed of a synthetic polymeric material, and at least one secondary particle entrapped within the primary particle of the bead and being comprised of a synthetic polymer material incorporating reporter moieties.

Claims

1. A labelled polymeric bead wherein individual beads comprise:

(a) a primary particle formed of a synthetic polymeric material, and

(b) at least one secondary particle wholly contained within the primary particle of the bead and being comprised of a synthetic polymer material incorporating at least around 500 reporter moieties.

2. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primary particle has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of 500 μ

m.

3. A bead as claimed in claim 2 wherein the primary particle has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of 5 to 200 μ

m.

4. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one secondary particle has a maximum cross-sectional dimension of 0.2 to 2 μ

m.

5. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the primary particle includes a plurality of secondary particles.

6. A bead as claimed claim 1 wherein the primary particle contains 1 to 10,000 of the secondary particles.

7. A bead as claimed in claim 6 wherein the primary particle contains 1 to 5000 of the secondary particles.

8. A bead as claimed in claim 7 wherein the primary particle contains 5 to 100 of the secondary particles.

9. A bead as claimed in claim 8 wherein the primary particle contains 20 to 50 of the secondary particles.

10. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of reporter moieties in each secondary particle contained within a primary particle of a bead is at least around 750.

11. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of reporter moieties in each secondary particle contained within a primary particle of a bead is at least 1000.

12. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of reporter moieties in each secondary particle contained within a primary particle of a bead is at least 10,000.

13. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the number of reporter moieties in each secondary particle contained within a primary particle of a bead is at least 100,000.

14. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reporter moieties are covalently incorporated in the secondary particles.

15. A bead as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reporter moieties are quantum dots.

16. A collection of beads as claimed in claim 1.

17. A collection as claimed in claim 16 wherein individual beads contain the same number of the same type of secondary particles.

18. A collection as claimed in claim 16 comprising beads containing different combinations of secondary particles.

19. A method of producing a collection of labelled beads comprising:

(i) providing at least one secondary particle comprised of a synthetic polymer material incorporating a plurality of reporter moieties; and

(ii) effecting polymerisation of a polymerisable monomer in the presence of said at least one secondary particle to form a collection of beads each comprised of a primary particle wholly containing at least one of said secondary particles.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein each secondary particle incorporates at least around 500 reporter moieties.