Patent ID: 7413868
Filing Date: 2008-08-19
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method to determine the presence, absence or amount of each of a multiplicity of components released from a single cell and/or the nature of at least one released component from the single cell, which method comprises permeabilizing or lysing the single cell or allowing the single cell to secrete cellular components, disposing the released components, on a planar sample surface, contacting the released components disposed on said surface with a multiplicity of particulate labels having diameters of 10-500 nm with different hues, wherein each differently hued particle is conjugated to specific binding partner for a cellular component or portion thereof; and wherein particulate labels bound to components are retained but particulate labels not bound to components are not retained; removing particulate labels not bound to components; and observing the number and nature of individual particulate labels that are bound to the released components on the sample surface by means of microscopic observation, whereby the presence, absence or amount of each of a multiplicity of released components and/or the nature of at least one released component from said single cell are determined.