Patent ID: 6395556
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for determining the presence or concentration of an analyte in a sample, comprising the steps of:a) providing a fluorescent reference molecule and a fluorescent sensing molecule; b) exposing said sensing molecule to a medium containing an analyte to form a mixture, wherein said analyte is capable of changing the intensity of the fluorescence emitted by the sensing molecule in a concentration-dependent manner; c) exposing said reference molecule and said mixture to a radiation source which causes said reference and sensing molecules to emit fluorescence; d) polarizing said emitted fluorescence along two different polarization axes which are substantially perpendicular to each other; e) attenuating the emission from one of the polarization axes, if necessary, such that the intensities of the emissions through both axes are substantially equal; and f) correlating the degree of attenuation with the presence or concentration of said analyte in said sample.