Apparatus and method for homogeneous immunoassay

Apparatus for providing an immunoassay of a binding reaction between a ligand and an antiligand, including

• a spatial pattern formed by a predetermined known spatial array of separate areas of antiligand material,
• ligand material dispersed to interact with the spatial array of separate areas of antiligand material for producing a binding reaction between the ligand and the antiligand in the spatial pattern,
• means for labeling the binding reaction with a particular physical characteristic,
• a source of input energy and with the input energy at a particular spectrum for interacting with the particular physical characteristic of the labeled binding reaction,
• means for scanning the spatial pattern with the input energy at the particular spectrum for producing output energy having amplitude levels formed by a substantially random background component and a non-random component representing the labeled binding reaction, and
• means responsive to the output energy for detecting the non-random component representing the labeled binding reaction and for producing an output signal in accordance with the labeled binding reaction.

A method for providing an immunoassay of a binding reaction between a ligand and an antiligand including the following steps,

• providing a spatial pattern formed by a predetermined known spatial array of separate areas of antiligand material,
• providing a ligand material dispersed to interact with the spatial array of separate areas of antiligand material for producing a binding reaction between the ligand and the antiligand in the spatial pattern,
• labeling the binding reaction with a particular physical characteristic,
• providing input energy at a particular spectrum for interacting with the paticular physical characteristic of the labeled binding reaction,
• scanning the spatial pattern with the input energy at the particular spectrum for producing output energy having amplitude levels formed by a substantially random background component and a non-random component representing the labeled binding reaction, and
• detecting the non-random component representing the labeled binding reaction and for producing an output signal in accordance with the labeled binding reaction.