Mass spectrometric immunoassay
AssigneeIntrinsic Bioprobes, Inc.
InventorsRandall W. Nelson, Peter Williams, Jennifer Reeve Krone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rapid mass spectrometric immunoassay methods for detecting and/or quantifying antibody and antigen analytes utilizing affinity capture to isolate the analytes and internal reference species (for quantification) followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the isolated analyte/internal reference species. Quantification is obtained by normalizing and calibrating obtained mass spectrum against the mass spectrum obtained for an antibody/antigen of known concentration
Claims30
A method for simultaneously determining whether a specimen contains any of one or more certain antigen species, comprising the steps of:
- means for capturing and isolating each of said certain antigen species from said specimen, said capturing and isolating means involving the use of an affinity reagent having a specific affinity for each said certain antigen species;
- and
- means for detecting the presence of said isolated certain antigen species involving the use of a mass spectrometer to determine whether each said certain antigen species was present in said specimen.
A method for determining how much of one or more certain antigens are present in a specimen, comprising the steps of:
- adding an internal reference species to said specimen where said specimen does not already contain one;
- means for capturing and isolating said certain antigen or antigens and said internal reference species from said specimen, said capturing and isolating means involving the use of an affinity reagent having a specific affinity for said certain antigen or antigens and said internal reference species;
- and
- means for quantifying said certain antigen or antigens, wherein said quantifying means involves mass spectrometric analysis of said isolated certain antigens and said isolated internal reference species.
A method for determining whether a specimen contains any of one or more certain antibody species, comprising the steps of:
- means for capturing and isolating each of said certain antibody species from said specimen, said capturing and isolating means involving the use of an affinity reagent having a specific affinity for a different one of said certain antibody species;
- and
- means for detecting the presence of any of said isolated certain antibody species, involving the use of a mass spectrometer, to determine whether each said certain antibody species was present in said specimen.
A method for determining the amount of a certain antibody present in a specimen, comprising the steps of:
- adding an internal reference species to said specimen when said specimen does not already contain one;
- means for capturing and isolating said certain antibody and said internal reference species from said specimen, said capturing and isolating means involving the use of an affinity reagent having a specific affinity for said certain antibody and said internal reference species;
- and
- means for quantifying said certain antibody, wherein said quantifying means involves mass spectrometric analysis of said isolated certain antibody and said internal reference species.
A method of simultaneously determining whether an antibody population contained in a specimen contains one or more certain antibody species, comprising the steps of:
- combining said specimen with a solid substrate having a non-specific affinity for antibodies to immobilize said antibody population onto said solid substrate and produce an affinity reagent;
- placing said affinity reagent into a preparation containing at least one known antigen, each said known antigen having a specific affinity for one of said certain antibodies to produce a post-combination affinity reagent and a screened preparation;
- separating said post-combination affinity reagent from said screened preparation to form an isolated post-combination affinity reagent;
- adding a laser desorption/ionization agent to said isolated post-combination affinity reagent to form a mass spectrometric mixture;
- and
- mass spectrometrically analyzing said mass spectrometric mixture to produce a mass spectrum, said mass spectrum indicating whether said antiserum contained each of said certain antibody species by exhibiting a mass spectrometric response located at the unique mass-to-charge ratio of the relevant said known antigen which has a specific affinity for that said certain antibody species.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.