Patent ID: 6365362
Filing Date: 2002-04-02
Classification: B03C,B82Y,G01N,H01F

Abstract:
A method of diagnosing early stage cancer in a test subject, comprising:a) obtaining from the blood of a test subject suspected of having early stage cancer, a test specimen comprising a mixed cell population suspected of containing cancer cells of epithelial origin; b) mixing said test specimen with colloidal magnetic particles coupled to a ligand which binds specifically to said cancer cells, to the substantial exclusion of other test specimen components; c) subjecting the specimen-magnetic particle mixture to a high gradient magnetic field to produce a separated cell fraction enriched in magnetic particle-bound cancer cells, if said cancer cells are present in said test specimen; and d) analyzing said enriched fraction for the presence of said cancer cells, the presence of said cancer cells in said specimen indicating the presence of early stage cancer in said test subject.