Patent ID: 7052854
Filing Date: 2006-05-30
Classification: B82Y,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting ex vivo a target analyte/biomarker comprising: (a) collecting a sample of bodily fluid in a container, wherein the sealed container comprises the sample of bodily fluid and a headspace; (b) mixing ex vivo to the bodily fluid in the container a nanostructure-based assembly that comprises a surrogate marker where the surrogate marker is released from the nanostructure-based assembly in the presence of a target analyte/biomarker; (c) applying sensor technology to the headspace or bodily fluid sample in the container, which contains the mixture of nanostructure-based assembly and bodily fluid sample in the container, wherein the sensor technology detects a surrogate marker released from the nanostructure-based assembly in the sealed container; and (d) determining whether the sample contains the target analyte/biomarker by using the sensor technology to detect the presence of the surrogate marker, wherein the detection of the surrogate marker indicates the presence of the target analyte/biomarker in the sample of bodily fluid in the container.