Patent ID: 7045286

Claim:
A method for quantifying molecules expressing a selected epitope in a sample comprising: (a) immobilizing a molecule expressing a selected epitope in a sample to a selected surface; (b) contacting the surface with an epitope detector so that the epitope detector binds to immobilized molecules on the surface, said epitope detector comprising an oligonucleotide attached to a monoclonal antibody for the selected epitope, a single chain Fv for the epitope or a constrained epitope specific CDR; (c) amplifying the oligonucleotide of said epitope detector by RNA amplification; (d) contacting the amplified oligonucleotide with a fluorescent dye which binds to RNA and stains the amplified oligonucleotide; and (e) measuring a quanta of fluorescence signals emitted from the stained oligonucleotide which is directly proportional to epitope detector bound to the surface and molecules expressing the selected epitope in the sample.