Patent ID: 11969702
Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC B  C  G | IPC B  C  G

Claim 15:
16. A method for identifying the presence of an analyte in a sample, comprising:
a) providing a substrate comprising a plurality of micro wells each having (i) an opening with a draft angle of at least 10 degrees, and (ii) a bottom;
b) loading a sample into said microwells;
c) contacting said microwells with a plurality of beads each having a ligand capable of binding an analyte, wherein (i) said beads are wider than said bottom of said microwells and are adapted to seal said microwells, and (ii) contacting said microwells with said beads anchors said beads in said microwells thereby sealing said sample in said microwells;
d) incubating said sample under conditions sufficient for said ligand to bind said analyte; and
e) removing said anchored beads from said microwells;
f) detecting binding of said ligand to said analyte after said anchored beads are removed from said microwells thereby identifying the presence of said analyte in said sample;
wherein (i) said beads and said microwells are geometrically paired such that only one of said-beads in said plurality of beads can anchor within one microwell in said plurality of microwells when said micro wells are contacted with said beads; and (ii) said substrate and said beads are adapted to permit the removal of said beads from said substrate after said beads have anchored within said micro wells.