Patent ID: 7871773

Claim:
A method for the detection of nucleic acids in a sample, wherein said method comprises: a) providing a sample; b) combining said sample with a staining solution, wherein said staining solution comprises one or more dyes having formula wherein A represents the atoms necessary to form one to two fused aromatic rings having 6 atoms in each ring, at least one of which is a nitrogen atom, said ring or rings being optionally further substituted one or more times by C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy trifluoromethyl, halogen, BRIDGE, -L-Rx or -L-Sc; wherein Rx is a reactive group; Sc is a conjugated substance; and L and BRIDGE are independently a single covalent bond, or a covalent linkage; X is 0, S, Se, NR 15 , or CR 16 R 17 , where R 15 is H or an alkyl group having 1-6 carbons; and R 16 and R 17 , which may be the same or different, are independently alkyl groups having 1-6 carbons, or R 16 and R 17 taken in combination complete a five or six membered saturated ring; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of -L-Rx, -L-Sc, TAIL, BRIDGE and an alkyl group having 1-6 carbons that is optionally substituted by sulfo, carboxy, amino, substituted amino or substituted ammonium, wherein α is 0 or 1; and TAIL is a heteroatom-containing moiety; Y is —CR 3 ═CR 4 — wherein p and m=0 or 1, such that p+m=1; R 3 , R 4 , R 6 , and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, a halogen, a CYCLIC SUBSTITUENT, —OR 8 , —SR 8 , —(NR 8 R 9 ), TAIL; BRIDGE, -L-Rx and -L-Sc; where R 8 and R 9 are independently a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, 1-2 alicyclic or aromatic rings; or R 8 and R 9 taken in combination are —(CH 2 ) 2 —V—(CH 2 ) 2 — where V is a single bond, —O—, —CH 2 —, or —NR 10 —, where R 10 is H or an alkyl having 1-6 carbons; wherein CYCLIC SUBSTITUENT is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl, heteroaryl or C 3 -C 1 O cycloalkyl; or R 6 and R 7 form a fused aromatic ring —R 11 ═R 12 —R 13 ═R 14 — wherein R 11 , R 12 , R 13 , and R 14 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, —OR 8 , —SR 8 , —(NR 8 R 9 ), a CYCLIC SUBSTITUENT, TAIL, BRIDGE, -L-Rx and -L-Sc; R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, a CYCLIC SUBSTITUENT, TAIL, BRIDGE, -L-Rx and -L-Sc; or R 5 is absent; R 30 , R 31 , and R 32 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 - C 6 alkyl, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl, wherein n=0; wherein, BRIDGE, when present, is bound to a compound having Formula I or another unsymmetrical cyanine dye; c) incubating said sample and said staining solution for a sufficient amount of time for the dye to associate with a nucleic acid molecule to form a dye-nucleic acid complex; d) illuminating said sample with an appropriate wavelength of light whereby the presence of said nucleic acid is determined.