Patent ID: 7572642

Claim:
A uniquely coded target-specific particle for detecting the presence of molecules of a specific target in a solution, the target-specific particle comprising: a plurality of functionalized zones comprising functional binding moieties configured to bind with the target molecules and a plurality of differentially-functionalized zones configured to not bind with the target molecules; wherein the plurality of functionalized zones and the plurality of differentially-functionalized zones are arranged on the target-specific particle in a spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, whereby to create a unique particle code for that target-specific particle, with the unique particle code being correlated with the binding capabilities and the spatially-distributed binding sites of the target-specific particle; whereby, (i) when the target-specific particle is introduced into a solution containing optically-labeled target molecules which are capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation, the optically-labeled target molecules bind to the plurality of functionalized zones of the target-specific particle so that the target molecules are bound to the target-specific particle in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, and (ii) when the target-specific particle with the target molecules bound thereto is thereafter passed through an appropriate reader, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the optically-labeled target molecules bound to the plurality of functionalized zones of the target-specific particle appear in the spatially-distributed pattern which is unique to that target-specific particle, thereby identifying the target-specific particle with its bound target molecules, and detecting the presence of the target molecules in the solution.