Patent ID: 11939626
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON THROUGH ITS CENTER FOR COMMERCIALIZATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC C  G | IPC C  G

Claim 15:
16. A method for performing a digital assay, the method comprising:
producing a plurality of polydisperse droplets having a distribution of droplet diameters with a standard deviation greater than 5% of a mean droplet diameter, wherein at least some of the plurality of polydisperse droplets comprise a sample, the sample comprising a target molecule;
amplifying the sample to produce an amplified product, wherein amplifying the sample comprises amplifying the target molecule or molecules associated with the target molecule;
associating the amplified product with a detectable agent;
imaging the plurality of polydisperse droplets to obtain a plurality of images of the plurality of polydisperse droplets from a plurality of focal planes;
measuring a volume of at least one droplet of the polydisperse droplets using the plurality of the images;
detecting a presence or absence of the amplified product and the detectable agent in the at least one droplet; and
determining a concentration of the target molecule in the plurality of polydisperse droplets based on the presence or absence of the amplified product and the detectable agent in the plurality of polydisperse droplets and the volume of at least some of the plurality of polydisperse droplets.