Means and methods using paramagnetic agents for in vitro diagnostic applications

A method for detection of a biomarker in a sample whose main component is water, comprising steps of:

• obtaining a sample whose main component is water;
• providing liposomes loaded with a plurality of paramagnetic agents, said liposomes are conjugated with a site specific moiety configured to interact with said biomarker in said sample;
• contacting said liposomes with said sample under conditions that allow the interaction between the site specific moiety and said biomarker;
• exposing said sample to an applied magnetic field;
• and,
• measuring a change in a nuclear relaxation property of said sample caused by said interaction between the liposomes and said biomarker in the applied magnetic field;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property is correlated to the presence of said biomarker in said sample.

A system for detecting a target biochemical molecular species or at least one property correlated with the occurrence of said biochemical molecular species in a sample whose main component is water, comprising;

• a. a magnetic resonance device (MRD) configured to measure a change in nuclear relaxation property of said sample;
• and,
• b. a plurality of Functionalized Paramagnetic Particles (FPP) said FPP comprising a paramagnetic core and a moiety configured to interact with said target biochemical molecular species or with molecules collectively reporting on a property of said target biochemical molecular species;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property of water protons in said sample measured by said MRD is correlated to the presence of said target biochemical molecular species and/or to the at least one property correlated with the occurrence of said biochemical molecular species in said sample, further wherein said FPP comprises a non ferrous oxide paramagnetic core.

A system for detection of a biomarker in a sample whose main component is water, comprising:

• a. a sample whose main component is water;
• b. liposomes loaded with a plurality of paramagnetic agents, said liposomes are conjugated with a site specific moiety configured to interact with said biomarker in said sample;
• c. a magnetic resonance device (MRD) configured to measure a change in a nuclear relaxation property of a sample whose main component is water removed from said production batch or continuous flow of said FBW or biological fluid;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property of the water protons in said sample is correlated to the presence of said biomarker in said sample.

A method of establishing the redox properties of a production batch or continuous flow of a Foodstuff, Beverage or Wine (FBW) or of a biological fluid, comprising the steps of:

• a. obtaining a sample removed from said production batch or continuous flow of said FBW or from said biological fluid;
• b. providing Functionalized Paramagnetic Particles (FPP) configured to change their redox property upon interaction with dissolved molecular oxygen or “ad hoc” generated radicals of said removed sample;
• c. contacting said FPP with said removed sample;
• d. exposing said removed sample to an applied magnetic field;
• and,
• e. measuring a change in a nuclear relaxation property of said removed sample caused by said change in the redox properties of said FPP in the applied magnetic field;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property is correlated with the presence and/or concentration of said molecular oxygen or of the “ad hoc” generated radicals of said removed sample, thereby establishing the redox properties of said production batch or continuous flow of said FBW or of said biological fluid.

A system for establishing the redox properties of a production batch or continuous flow of a Foodstuff, Beverage, Wine (FBW) or of a biological fluid, comprising:

• l. a magnetic resonance device (MRD) configured to measure a change in a nuclear relaxation property of a sample removed from said production batch or continuous flow of said FBW or of said biological fluid;
• and,
• m. a plurality of Functionalized Paramagnetic Particles (FPP) configured to be in contact with said removed sample, said plurality of FPP are further configured to change at least one of their redox properties upon interaction with dissolved molecular oxygen or with “ad hoc” generated radicals of said removed sample;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property measured by said MRD is correlated to the presence or concentration of dissolved molecular oxygen or “ad hoc” generated radicals of said removed sample, thereby the redox properties of said production batch or continuous flow of said FBW or of said biological fluid are established.

A system for establishing the potability of a production batch or continuous flow of a flowable Foodstuff, Beverage or Wine (FBW), comprising:

• a. a magnetic resonance device (MRD) configured to measure a change in nuclear relaxation property of a sample removed from said production batch or continuous flow of said flowable FBW;
• and,
• b. a plurality of functionalized paramagnetic particles (FPP) configured to be in contact with said sample, said plurality of FPP are further configured to change their redox/oxidative properties upon interaction with dissolved molecular oxygen or “ad hoc” generated radicals of said removed sample;
• wherein a change in T.sub.1 nuclear relaxation property measured by said MRD correlates with dissolved molecular oxygen or “ad hoc” generated radicals concentration of said FBW sample, thereby establishing the potability of said production batch or continuous flow of said flowable FBW.