Patent ID: 6803202
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: G01N,G16H

Abstract:
A method of determining the existence of and identifying any one of a plurality of 2Nâˆ’1 different bioagents in a sample containing a bioagent of said plurality of 2N1 different bioagents, where N is an integer greater than 1, comprising the steps of:dividing the sample into N parts; and performing a separate detection process on each of the N parts of the sample to define a plurality of N detection processes, each of said N detection processes employing molecular interactions to uniquely identify bioagents, each of said separate detection processes of said plurality of N detection processes for detecting the presence of any bioagent within a defined collection of bioagents found within said plurality of 2Nâˆ’1 different bioagents, said defined collection of bioagents detected by any one of said separate detection processes in said plurality of N detection processes being different from the collection of bioagents that is detected by any other of said separate detection processes in said plurality of N detection processes; said collections of bioagents in total including said entire plurality of 2Nâˆ’1 different bioagents, and wherein a collective result of said plurality of N detection processes identifies an individual one of said plurality of 2Nâˆ’1 bioagents.