Particles containing detectable elemental code
AssigneeFluidigm Canada Inc.
InventorsMitchell A. Winnik, Cedric Vancaeyzeele, Vladimir I. Baranov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a new type of element encoded particles suitable for the attachment of bio molecules to enable massively multiplex bio-analytical methods, and to calibrate and tune the elemental flow cytometer mass spectrometer (FC-MS).
Claims42
A plurality of element stained particles, usable by a Mass Spectrometer-based Flow Cytometer (FC-MS), each particle having a Mass Spectrometer (MS) readable elemental code, wherein each said particle comprises at least one staining element, said staining element being selected such that upon FC-MS interrogation of each individual particle, a distinct MS signal is obtained from said at least one staining element, wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said at least one staining element in said particle, whereby said signal represents the MS readable elemental code.
A method of producing polymeric particles incorporating in or on the particles one or more staining elements to facilitate determination of said particles by FC-MS, said method comprising:
- (a) combining at least one staining element-containing complex in a solvent mixture comprising at least one organic monomer in which the at least one element-containing complex is soluble and at least one different solvent in which said organic monomer and said at least one element-containing complex are less soluble,
- (b) emulsifying the mixture of step (a) for a period of time sufficient to provide a uniform emulsion;
- (c) initiating polymerization and continuing reaction until a substantial portion of monomer is converted to polymer;
- and
- (d) incubating the product of step (c) for a period of time sufficient to obtain a latex suspension of polymeric particles with the at least one staining element-containing complex incorporated in or on the particles therein,
- wherein said at least one staining element-containing complex is selected such that upon FC-MS interrogation of each individual particle of said stained polymeric particles, a distinct MS signal is obtained from said at least one staining element, wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said at least one element stain in said individual particle of said stained polymeric particles.
A method of staining polymeric particles with one or more elements to facilitate determination of each individual particle of said particles by FC-MS, said method comprising:
- (a) combining at least one staining element-containing complex in a solvent mixture comprising at least one organic solvent in which the at least one element-containing complex is soluble and at least one other solvent in which the at least one element-containing complex is less soluble, to produce a solution of at least one element-containing complex, wherein said solution is further characterized as having the capacity to swell at least partially but not dissolve the polymeric particles;
- (b) incubating the solution of step (a) with polymeric particles for a period of time sufficient to provide staining of said polymeric particles with the at least one staining element-containing complex, and
- wherein said at least one staining element-containing complex is selected such that upon FC-MS interrogation of each individual particle of said stained polymeric particles, a distinct MS signal is obtained from at least one staining element, wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said at least one element stain in said individual particle of said stained polymeric particles.
A method of producing core-shell polymeric particles, each core-shell polymeric particle comprising a core-shell and a stained core particle within said core-shell, wherein one or more staining elements are incorporated into said stained core particle to facilitate determination of said core-shell polymeric particles by FC-MS, said method comprising:
- (a) combining said stained core particles in a solvent mixture comprising at least one organic monomer which is further characterized as having the capacity to polymerize said organic monomer onto the surface of each of said core particles and at least one different solvent in which said organic monomer is less soluble, to provide a mixture of stained core particles with said monomer;
- and
- (b) adding, step wise or continuously, the organic monomer, initiator, and surfactant to the solvent mixture of step (a) for a period of time sufficient to obtain a latex suspension of core-shell polymeric particles with the at least one staining element-containing complex incorporated therein, wherein said at least one staining element incorporated within the core particle is selected such that upon FC-MS interrogation of each individual particle of said stained polymeric particles a distinct MS signal is obtained from the said at least one staining element, wherein the intensity of said signal is proportional to the amount of said at least one element stain in said individual particle of said stained polymeric particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.