Nucleic acid antigens embedded in thermoplastic
AssigneeEmbedded Concepts, LLC
InventorJohn A. McIntyre
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assay device is made by combining a polynucleic acid with a molten material capable of solidifying into a solid thermoplastic or thermosetting material and then allowing the molten material to solidify. The thus-formed thermoplastic solid material has at least some molecules of the polynucleic acid exposed on the surface of the thermoplastic solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding. The invention further relates to a solid phase substrate having a polynucleic acid embedded therein. The invention further relates to the use of a solid phase substrate having a polynucleic acid embedded therein for hybridization assays and immunoassays to detect anti-nucleic acid antibodies.
Claims24
A composition comprising a thermoplastic or thermosetting solid material having molecules of a polynucleic acid evenly dispersed throughout the solid material, wherein the polynucleic acid is not chemically coupled to the solid material and wherein the polynucleic is held in the solid material so that the polynucleic acid does not leach or elute from the solid material, wherein at least a fraction of the molecules of the polynucleic acid is exposed to a surface of the solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding.
A composition comprising a thermoplastic or thermosetting solid material having molecules of a polynucleic acid evenly dispersed throughout the solid material, wherein the polynucleic acid is not chemically coupled to the solid material and wherein the binding agent is held in the solid material so that the polynucleic acid does not leach or elute from the solid material, wherein at least a fraction of the molecules of the polynucleic acid is exposed to a surface of the solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding, wherein the solid material having the polynucleic acid evenly dispersed throughout is formed by a process comprising the steps of:
- mixing the polynucleic acid with a fluid material that is to become the solid material so that the binding agent becomes evenly distributed within the fluid and solid material to form a mixture,
- forming the mixture into a specific shape and allowing the mixture to solidify to form a solid material having the specific shape and wherein the polynucleic acid is not a participant in a reaction of solidifying the mixture.
A method for preparing a thermoplastic or thermosetting solid material having molecules of a polynucleic acid evenly dispersed throughout the solid material, wherein the polynucleic acid is not chemically coupled to the solid material and wherein the binding agent is held in the solid material so that the polynucleic acid does not leach or elute from the solid material, wherein at least a fraction of the molecules of the polynucleic acid is exposed to a surface of the solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding, the method comprising the steps of:
- mixing the polynucleic acid with a fluid material that is to become the solid material so that the polynucleic acid becomes evenly distributed within the fluid material to form a mixture,
- forming the mixture into a specific shape and allowing the mixture to solidify to form a solid material having the specific shape and wherein the polynucleic acid is not a participant in a reaction of solidifying the mixture and wherein because of random motion of the molecules of the polynucleic acid during the step of mixing, at least a fraction of the molecules of the polynucleic acid are exposed to a surface of the solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding.
A binding assay method for detecting the presence of a binding partner, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a composition comprising a thermoplastic or thermosetting solid material having molecules of a polynucleic acid evenly dispersed throughout the solid material, wherein the polynucleic acid is not chemically coupled to the solid material and wherein the polynucleic is held in the solid material so that the polynucleic acid does not leach or elute from the solid material, wherein at least a fraction of the molecules of the polynucleic acid is exposed to a surface of the solid material in an orientation wherein the polynucleic acid is bindable to a binding partner by specific binding,
- contacting a sample suspected of containing the binding partner with the composition for a sufficient time and under sufficient conditions to permit molecules of the binding partner, if present, to bind to molecules of the polynucleic acid exposed on the surface of the solid material, and
- detecting the presence or absence of binding of the binding partner to the polynucleic acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.