Patent ID: 11965881
Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 0:
1. A method of microfluidic detection of a biological marker in a biological sample collected from a subject, the method comprising:
providing a microfluidic device, said device comprising:
a cartridge and a planar substrate retained in said cartridge, said cartridge comprising a sample inlet well formed in said cartridge above a sample application region in or on said substrate and at least one detection region in fluid communication with said sample application region via a microfluidic channel extending from said sample application region to said detection region, said microfluidic channel having a terminal end positioned distal from said inlet well, and an optional absorbent pad positioned at said terminal end, wherein said detection region comprises a first nanosensor immobilized therein or thereon;
wherein said first nanosensor comprises a central carrier particle, a first particle tethered to said carrier particle via an oligopeptide linkage, and a second particle directly attached to said carrier particle, wherein said oligopeptide linkage comprises a supramolecular recognition sequence, a protease consensus sequence, a post-translationally modifiable sequence, or a sterically hindered benzylether bond for specific interaction with a biological marker, wherein at least one of said first and second particles is a detectable particle and the other of said first and second particles is a quencher particle;

introducing a biological sample collected from said subject into said inlet well of said microfluidics device, said biological sample flowing to said terminal end along said microfluidic chamber, wherein said biological sample contacts said detection region that comprises said first nanosensor immobilized therein or thereon before reaching said terminal end;
exposing said detection region to an energy source to generate a detectable signal from said detectable particle in said first nanosensor; and
detecting changes in said detectable signal based upon interaction of said biological sample with said first nanosensor.