Self-encoding sensor with microspheres
First Claim
1. A method of statistically analyzing response signals obtained from a sensor element array to determine the statistical validity of said response signals, said method comprising:
- a) providing an array comprising a population of sensor elements at a density of least 20,000 sensor elements per 1 mm2, said population of sensor elements comprising a plurality of subpopulations of sensor elements, the plurality of subpopulations of sensor elements comprising a first subpopulation comprising sensor elements having the same first bioactive agent and a second subpopulation comprising sensor elements having the same second bioactive agent;
b) contacting said array with a composition comprising at least a target analyte, thereby producing a response signal at said sensor elements of at least one of said first and second subpopulations;
c) obtaining individual response signals from 5 to 100 separate sensor elements from at least one of said first and second subpopulations; and
d) performing a statistical analysis on said response signals from at least one of said first and second subpopulations, whereby statistical validity of said response signals is determined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A microsphere-based analytic chemistry system is disclosed in which self-encoding microspheres having distinct characteristic optical response signatures to specific target analytes may be mixed together while the ability is retained to identify the sensor type and location of each sensor in a random dispersion of large numbers of such sensors in a sensor array using an optically interrogatable encoding scheme. An optical fiber bundle sensor is also disclosed in which individual microsphere sensors are disposed in microwells at a distal end of the fiber bundle and are optically coupled to discrete fibers or groups of fibers within the bundle. The identities of the individual sensors in the array are self-encoded by exposing the array to a reference analyte while illuminating the array with excitation light energy. A single sensor array may carry thousands of discrete sensing elements whose combined signal provides for substantial improvements in sensor detection limits, response times and signal-to-noise ratios.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of statistically analyzing response signals obtained from a sensor element array to determine the statistical validity of said response signals, said method comprising:
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a) providing an array comprising a population of sensor elements at a density of least 20,000 sensor elements per 1 mm2, said population of sensor elements comprising a plurality of subpopulations of sensor elements, the plurality of subpopulations of sensor elements comprising a first subpopulation comprising sensor elements having the same first bioactive agent and a second subpopulation comprising sensor elements having the same second bioactive agent; b) contacting said array with a composition comprising at least a target analyte, thereby producing a response signal at said sensor elements of at least one of said first and second subpopulations; c) obtaining individual response signals from 5 to 100 separate sensor elements from at least one of said first and second subpopulations; and d) performing a statistical analysis on said response signals from at least one of said first and second subpopulations, whereby statistical validity of said response signals is determined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification