Patent ID: 8029985

Claim:
A method for assaying a biological fluid sample potentially containing two or more analytes, which comprises the steps of: (a) providing a stationary solid phase support with immobilized receptors for binding thereto said analytes; (b) forming two or more different types of sensitized microcapsules comprising oligomarkers, each different type of said sensitized microcapsules having a surface membrane and an interior volume, said surface membrane of said each different type of said sensitized microcapsules having a receptor incorporated thereinto that specifically binds to a particular one of said analytes and said interior volume of said each different type of said sensitized microcapsules includes a unique oligomarker from said oligomarkers, each said unique oligomarker in said each different type of said sensitized microcapsules is different; (c) flowing said biological fluid sample over said solid phase support whereby said analytes bind to said immobilized receptors when said analytes are present in the biological fluid sample; (d) flowing said sensitized microcapsules over said solid phase support, whereby said sensitized microcapsules bind to said analytes bound to said immobilized receptors and forming complexes comprising said sensitized microcapsules, said analytes and said immobilized receptors when said analytes are present in the biological fluid sample; (e) disrupting said sensitized microcapsules on said complexes and releasing each said unique oligomarker from each different type of said sensitized microcapsules on said complexes when said analytes are present in the biological fluid sample; and (f) determining the presence of each of said analytes in said biological fluid sample by detecting each said unique oligomarker released from said each different type of said sensitized microcapsules on said complexes.