Claims
- 1. An assay for use in SERS spectroscopy, the assay comprising lyophilized colloidal particles of a metal, which when reconstituted, produce a SERS active solution.
- 2. The assay of claim 1, wherein the metal is a noble metal.
- 3. The assay of claim 1, wherein the assay is used in SERS spectroscopy to determine the concentration of an unknown solution.
- 4. The assay of claim 1, further comprising a material for preventing the particles from sticking to one another.
- 5. The assay of claim 4, wherein the material comprises a wax-like material.
- 6. The assay of claim 4, wherein the material comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 7. An assay system for use in SERS spectroscopy, the assay system comprising:
a container; lyophilized colloidal particles of a metal disposed in a first section of the container; wherein reconstitution of the lyophilized colloidal particles of a metal produce a SERS active solution.
- 8. The assay system of claim 7, wherein the metal is a noble metal.
- 9. The assay system of claim 7, further comprising a closure for sealing the container.
- 10. The assay system of claim 7, further comprising a reagent disposed in a second section of the container, the reagent for coupling an analyte to a SERS active metal.
- 11. The assay system of claim 10, wherein the second section of the container is remote from the first section of the container.
- 12. The assay system of claim 7, further comprising a material for preventing the particles from sticking to one another.
- 13. The assay system of claim 12, wherein the material comprises a wax-like material.
- 14. The assay system of claim 12, wherein the material comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 15. The assay system of claim 12, further comprising a pretreatment disposed on an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 16. The assay system of claim 15, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 17. The assay system of claim 15, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 18. The assay system of claim 7, further comprising a pretreatment disposed on an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 19. The assay system of claim 18, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 20. The assay system of claim 18, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 21. The assay system of claim 7, wherein the assay is used in SERS spectroscopy to determine the concentration of an unknown solution.
- 22. The assay system of claim 7, wherein the first section of the container includes a plurality of wells and lyophilized colloidal particles of a metal disposed in each of the wells.
- 23. The assay system of claim 22, wherein the lyophilized colloidal particles of metal include an antibody.
- 24. The assay system of claim 23, wherein the assay system forms a Surface Enhanced Raman ImmunoAssay.
- 25. A method of producing an assay for use in SERS spectroscopy, the method comprising:
providing a suspension of colloidal particles of metal; lyophilizing the suspension of colloidal particles of metal to produce the assay, which when reconstituted, produce a SERS active solution.
- 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the metal is a noble metal.
- 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of mixing the colloidal particles of metal with a material prior to the lyophilizing step, the material preventing the particles from sticking to one another.
- 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the material comprises a wax-like material.
- 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the material comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 30. A method of making an assay system for use in SERS spectroscopy, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a container; placing a suspension of colloidal particles of a metal in a first section of the container; lyophilizing the suspension of colloidal particles of the metal to produce an assay, which when reconstituted, produce a SERS active solution.
- 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the metal is a noble metal.
- 32. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of mixing the suspension of colloidal particles of metal with a material prior to the placing step, the material preventing the particles from sticking to one another.
- 33. The method of claim 32, wherein the material comprises a wax-like material.
- 34. The method of claim 32, wherein the material comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 35. The method of claim 32, wherein the container providing step includes applying a pretreatment to an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 37. The method of claim 35, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 38. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of placing a reagent in a second section of the container, the reagent for coupling an analyte to a SERS active metal.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the lyophilizing step further includes lyophilizing the reagent.
- 40. The method of claim 38, wherein the second section of the container is remote from the first section of the container.
- 41. The method of claim 30, where the container providing step includes applying a pretreatment to an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 43. The method of claim 41, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 44. A method of analyzing a material, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a container; placing a suspension of colloidal particles of a metal in a first section of the container; lyophilizing the colloidal particles of the metal to produce an assay; simultaneously reconstituting and mixing the assay with the material to be analyzed to produce a SERS active solution; performing SERS spectroscopy on the SERS active solution.
- 45. The method of claim 44, wherein the metal is a noble metal.
- 46. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of mixing the suspension of colloidal particles of metal with a material prior to the placing step, the material preventing the particles from sticking to one another.
- 47. The method of claim 46, wherein the material comprises a wax-like material.
- 48. The method of claim 46, wherein the material comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 49. The method of claim 46, wherein the container providing step includes applying a pretreatment to an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 51. The method of claim 49, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 52. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of placing a reagent in a second section of the container, the reagent for coupling an analyte to a SERS active metal.
- 53. The method of claim 52, wherein the lyophilizing step further includes lyophilizing the reagent.
- 54. The method of claim 52, wherein the second section of the container is remote from the first section of the container.
- 55. The method of claim 44, where the container providing step includes applying a pretreatment to an inner surface of the container, the pretreatment for preventing the particles from sticking to one another and sticking to the inner surface of the container.
- 56. The method of claim 55, wherein the pretreatment comprises a wax-like material.
- 57. The method of claim 55, wherein the pretreatment comprises polyethylene glycol.
- 58. The assay of claim 1, further comprising an antibody.
- 59. The assay system of claim 7, further comprising an antibody.
- 60. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of mixing the suspension of colloidal particles of metal with an antibody prior to the lyophilizing step.
- 61. The method of claim 30, wherein the first section of the container includes a plurality of wells and lyophilized colloidal particles of a metal are placed in each of the wells.
- 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the lyophilized colloidal particles of metal include an antibody.
- 63. The method of claim 62, wherein the assay system forms a Surface Enhanced Raman ImmunoAssay.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/300,270, filed Jun. 21, 2001.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60300270 |
Jun 2001 |
US |