Microporous materials, methods of making, using, and articles thereof

• US 8,163,566 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• 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., Voelkerding, Karl V., Elgort, Marc G., Durtschi, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): LAM, ANN Y
• Application Number:
  US12/367,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20090142748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 436/518
• 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 67/00931 by introduction of specific groups after membrane formation, e.g. by grafting
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/12 Composite membranes; Ultra-thin membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/0221 Group 4 or 5 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 2300/0636 Integrated biosensor, microarrays
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0681 Filter
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0829 Multi-well plates; Microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0851 Bottom walls
• 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 20/00 : Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/68 : involving nucleic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6813 : Hybridisation assays
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/6844 : Nucleic acid amplification reactions
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 1/703 : Viruses associated with AIDS
• CPC Class Codes: C12Q 2565/137 : Chromatographic separation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4738 : Diffuse reflection precedence is given to G01N21/55 - G01N21/57 if specular component is taken into consideration, e.g. also for testing fluids, fibrous materials
• 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 21/6456 : Spatial resolved fluorescence measurements; Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 : Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 : Voids specified as micro

Abstract

Described herein are methods for separating one or more analytes present in a fluid sample. The methods involve passing the fluid through or into 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. In another method, the localized analyte is destabilized to make the localized analyte more accessible for chemical manipulation. 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. Methods for making pigmented composites are also disclosed. 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 method for detecting an analyte, comprising

(a) passing a fluid sample comprising the analyte through or into a microporous material, wherein the analyte is localized near the surface of the microporous material;

(b) destabilizing at least some of the localized analyte; and

(c) detecting the destabilized analyte,

wherein the microporous material comprises a composite comprising a microporous material and a pigment, wherein the pigment is incorporated in the microporous material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment is covalently attached to the microporous material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pigment is attached to the microporous material by a linker.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the linker comprises an organosilyl group.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pigment is attached to the microporous material by a hydroxyl group, a carboxyl group, a sulfhydryl group, an amine group, or a combination thereof present on the surface of the microporous material.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the pigment comprises an organic dye.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the organic dye comprises an isothiocyanate, a triazine, or an ester.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the microporous material comprises a ceramic, a metal, carbon, or glass.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the microporous material comprises a metal oxide.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the metal oxide comprises aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, a zeolite, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the microporous material comprises an inorganic electrochemically formed material or an etched material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the microporous material comprises micropores having a diameter of from about 0.02 microns to about 0.2 microns.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the microporous material comprises aluminum oxide and the pigment comprises an organic dye, wherein the organic dye is covalently attached to the microporous material by a linker comprising an organosilyl group.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment is deposited on the microporous material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pigment comprises an elemental metal, a metal oxide, a metal alloy, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein when the pigment comprises an elemental metal, the elemental metal comprises a transition metal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transition metal comprises palladium, nickel, silver, gold, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the labeled is optically detected with a scanning confocal epifluorometer.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the labeled is optically detected with a CCD array based fluorescent device.