Patent ID: 11860118
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 detecting a target DNA, the method comprising:
adding a DNA sample to a biosensor comprising a suspension of a hybridization buffer containing dispersed gold nanoparticles, sodium chloride, and single-stranded DNA probes configured to undergo DNA hybridization with the target DNA;
sending, by a laser, a beam of near-infrared radiation into the biosensor, wherein the beam of near-infrared radiation is configured to induce a photothermal effect in any aggregated gold nanoparticles present in the biosensor; and
detecting a temperature of the biosensor after sending the beam of near-infrared radiation into the biosensor;
determining whether the target DNA is present in the DNA sample based on the temperature of the biosensor;
adding a first solution of the single-stranded DNA probes in the hybridization buffer to a suspension of the dispersed gold nanoparticles to form a protected gold nanoparticle suspension; and
adding a second solution of sodium chloride in the hybridization buffer to the protected gold nanoparticle suspension to form the biosensor.