Patent ID: 6962822

Claim:
A detection method, comprising: providing a substrate across which is distributed an array of discrete regions of porous material, the discrete regions having respective members that pass through the porous material; bringing fluid that contains the chemical targets into contact with the members, so that fluid dissipates away from the members into the porous material, thereby allowing chemical targets to be bound to the discrete regions of porous material; bringing chemically active material into contact with the chemical targets, the chemically active material binding to at least one of the chemical targets, the chemically active material including a tag that fluoresces at a first wavelength upon being irradiated by electromagnetic radiation at a second wavelength; directing electromagnetic radiation that includes the second wavelength onto the discrete regions, so that optical radiation corresponding to the first wavelength is emitted from at least one of the regions; and detecting the optical radiation emitted at the first wavelength.