Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for ligand detection

US4626513A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
11References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1983
Grant dateDec 2, 1986
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2003

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T436/255
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A process and apparatus has been developed for radioassay of ligand in solution which eliminates the separation step required in conventional techniques. A chamber is provided containing a quenching solution, a plurality of ligand molecules and a plurality of receptor molecules. One of pluralities forms a free species labelled with a beta particle emitter while the other is immobilized on a solid support, e.g., the chamber wall or a microbead, within the chamber. Ligand introduced with the sample competes with ligand molecules already in the chamber for receptor sites on the receptor molecules and the free species is allowed to diffuse about the chamber. A beta particle detector in communication with the chamber at a fixed position detects only those beta particles emitted from within the quenching distance of the quenching solution. The quenching properties of the solution are used in place of the conventional separation step. The process and apparatus are easily adapted for continuous monitoring of ligand level and are particularly well suited for use in radioimmunoassays. The apparatus can be miniturized allowing implantation in an animal body and in vivo monitoring of ligand le…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.