Self-encoding sensor with microspheres
First Claim
1. A method for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in a sensor array, said method comprising:
- a) providing a sensor array having a plurality of subgroups of sensor elements, wherein each of the sensor elements of a subgroup comprises the same bioactive agent;
b) providing an analyte to said sensor array, such that said analyte is accessible to said sensor elements;
c) detecting an optical response signal from a first sensor element and a second sensor element of the same subgroup, wherein said first sensor element and said second sensor element interact with said analyte to produce said response signal, and wherein the response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element are separately detected; and
d) combining the optical response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in the sensor array.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
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.
-
Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in a sensor array, said method comprising:
-
a) providing a sensor array having a plurality of subgroups of sensor elements, wherein each of the sensor elements of a subgroup comprises the same bioactive agent; b) providing an analyte to said sensor array, such that said analyte is accessible to said sensor elements; c) detecting an optical response signal from a first sensor element and a second sensor element of the same subgroup, wherein said first sensor element and said second sensor element interact with said analyte to produce said response signal, and wherein the response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element are separately detected; and d) combining the optical response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in the sensor array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method for amplifying a response signal of a sensor array, said method comprising:
-
a) providing a sensor array having a plurality of subgroups of sensor elements, wherein each of the sensor elements of a subgroup comprises the same bioactive agent; b) providing analytes to said sensor array, such that said analyte is accessible to said sensor elements; c) detecting an optical response signal from a first sensor element and a second sensor element of the same subgroup, wherein said first sensor element and said second sensor element interact with said analyte to produce said response signal, and wherein the response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element are separately detected; and d) combining the optical response signals from said first sensor element and said second sensor element, thereby amplifying said response signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
Specification