Patent ID: 6127115
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A method for detecting an infectious agent in a sample via detection of its nucleic acid comprising:(a) immobilizing unlabeled and denatured double stranded nucleic acid probe onto a solid phase support;(b) treating the sample, which is suspected of containing an infectious agent to denature any double stranded nucleic acid contained therein;(c) adding the treated sample containing the nucleic acid to the immobilized probe;(d) incubating the treated sample and immobilized probe so that any nucleic acid of the infectious agent therein hybridizes to complementary sequences of the immobilized probe;(e) adding labeled nucleic acid probe competes with any nucleic acid of the infectious agent for hybridizing to the immobilized probe;(f) washing any unhybridized labeled or unlabeled probe away the solid phase support;(g) detecting any remaining immobilized label as an indication of the presence of the infectious agent in the sample.