Assays with induced aggregation for enhanced sensitivity
AssigneeIlytica LLC
InventorJay T. Groves
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are systems, devices and methods for the rapid and accurate measurement of analyte particles binding-induced aggregation of reporter particles. In the presence of analyte particles of interest, reporter particles form aggregates which increase in mean particle size as the concentration of analyte increases. From analysis of the mean particle size, determined from sample frames, the presence and/or concentration of analyte can be determined.
Claims23
A method for determining a concentration of an analyte particle in a sample comprising the analyte particle and a quantity of one or more types of reporter particles, wherein the presence of analyte particle induces the formation of aggregates, each comprising at least two reporter particles and at least one analyte particle, comprising the steps of:
- performing, in one or more recorded frames of a detector volume comprising the sample, one or more steps of border formation, comprising converting the one or more recorded frames to grayscale and creating borders at locations of high gradient;
- identifying, in the one or more recorded frames, images of particles corresponding to aggregates of reporter particles and, optionally, individual un-aggregated reporter particles, wherein each of the one or more recorded frames comprises between 2,000 and 10,000 particles;
- determining one or more object characteristics of the particles corresponding to aggregates, wherein mean aggregate size can be determined from the object characteristics;
- and
- from the object characteristics, determining the concentration of the analyte particle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.