Microporous materials, methods, and articles for localizing and quantifying analytes

• US 7,682,688 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Smith, Roger E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Victor S
• Application Number:
  US10/536,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20060134397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 428/304.4, 428/317.9
• US Class Current: 428/304.4
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0065 by anodic oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0088 Physical treatment with compounds, e.g. swelling, coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0093 Chemical modification
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/022 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/02231 Palladium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/02232 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/025 Aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00286 Reactor vessels with top and bottom openings
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00545 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00572 Chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00641 the porous medium being continuous, e.g. porous oxide substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00722 Nucleotides
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00725 Peptides
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50255 Multi-well filtration
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/06 Libraries containing nucleotides or polynucleotides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 40/10 Libraries containing peptides or polypeptides, or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 60/14 for creating libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C40B 70/00 : Tags or labels specially adapted for combinatorial chemistry or libraries, e.g. fluorescent tags or bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 : Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/551 : the carrier being inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 : Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 : Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249986 : Void-containing component contains also a solid fiber or solid particle

Abstract

Described herein are methods for separating one or more analytes present in a fluid sample. The methods involve passing the fluid through a filter having a microporous material, wherein the analytes are localized near the surface of the microporous material. Additional processing steps such as hybridization and amplification can be performed once the analyte is localized. In one method, once the analyte is localized, the analyte can be detected, counted, and correlated in order to determine the concentration of the analyte in the sample. Modified microporous materials and composite materials are also disclosed that can be used in any of the methods and articles described herein. The composite is composed of a microporous material and a pigment, wherein the pigment is incorporated in the microporous material. The pigments alter the optical properties of the microporous material, which enhances the detection of analyte once it is localized. In a further aspect, various kits and articles such as filtration devices containing any of the microporous materials described herein are provided.

Claims

1. A composite consisting essentially of:

a) a non-fluorescent microporous material; and

b) a pigment;

wherein said pigment is incorporated in said microporous material and said pigment consists essentially of discrete deposits of an elemental metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof having a size of 10 to 200 nm; and

wherein the composite is optically opaque and permits the flow of a liquid through or into the composite.

2. The composite of claim 1, wherein said elemental metal is a transition metal.

3. The composite of claim 2, wherein said elemental metal is a transition metal chosen from palladium, nickel, silver, gold, or combination thereof.