Patent ID: 8440469

Claim:
A method for increasing a spectroscopic signal in a biological assay, said method comprising: suspending a plurality of magnetically-attractable particles and a plurality of pathogens including at least one strain of pathogen in a container; forming a suspension that includes a plurality of bound magnetically-attractable particles that are each bound to a pathogen of the plurality of pathogens and a plurality of unbound magnetically-attractable particles that are each not bound to any pathogens of the plurality of pathogens; introducing a first magnetic field at a first location to attract the plurality of bound magnetically-attractable particles and the plurality of unbound magnetically-attractable particles of the suspension toward the first location and form a first agglomeration having a first configuration that includes a first density of bound magnetically-attractable particles positioned near the first location; introducing a second magnetic field at a second location to attract the plurality of bound magnetically-attractable particles and the plurality of unbound magnetically-attractable particles of the suspension toward the second location and form a second agglomeration having a second configuration that is different from the first configuration, the second configuration having a second density of bound magnetically-attractable particles positioned near the second location that is greater than the first density near the first location, the second density configured to enhance a signal-to-noise ratio for increasing a spectroscopic signal; and focusing an excitation source on the second agglomeration formed at the second location to generate the spectroscopic signal.