Method and apparatus for detecting chemical binding

US6858148B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Benjamin P. Warner · Los Alamos, US
• George Havrilla · Los Alamos, US
• Thomasin Miller · Los Alamos, US
• Cyndi Wells · Los Alamos, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 16, 2003
• Grant date: Feb 22, 2005
• Expiry date: Sep 3, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T436/13
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The method for screening binding between a target binder and potential pharmaceutical chemicals involves sending a solution (preferably an aqueous solution) of the target binder through a conduit to a size exclusion filter, the target binder being too large to pass through the size exclusion filter, and then sending a solution of one or more potential pharmaceutical chemicals (preferably an aqueous solution) through the same conduit to the size exclusion filter after target binder has collected on the filter. The potential pharmaceutical chemicals are small enough to pass through the filter. Afterwards, x-rays are sent from an x-ray source to the size exclusion filter, and if the potential pharmaceutical chemicals form a complex with the target binder, the complex produces an x-ray fluorescence signal having an intensity that indicates that a complex has formed.