Patent ID: 7662560

Claim:
A method for discriminating complex biological samples, each sample comprising multiple different constituents, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensing fields, each sensing field being at a known location in the array and comprising a plurality of discrete biological sensing elements, the sensing elements being immobilized on the array, each sensing field being characterized by the sensing elements, the plurality of sensing fields being characterized by a plurality of different discrete biological sensing elements; (b) contacting a first complex biological sample to the sensor array under conditions that allow binding of some of the constituents of the sample to some of the sensing elements that characterize the sensing fields of the array, wherein constituents bound to the sensing elements in a specific sensing field are bound with a range of affinities and/or specificities; (c) removing substantially all of the constituents in the first sample that did not bind to a sensing element; (d) analyzing the pattern of binding to construct a first data set by measuring the presence of the sample constituents bound to the sensing elements on each of the sensing fields of the array and expressing said measurement as a numerical value, whereby said values derived from the measurement of each of the sensing fields of the array collectively comprise a data set; and (e) comparing the first data set with one or more other data sets, each of the other data sets generated in substantially the same method from other complex biological samples, whereby differences between the data sets can be identified, thus discriminating said samples.