Patent ID: 8546088

Claim:
In a method of detecting a target compound, cell or particle, wherein said target is labelled with a detectable luminescent compound, the improvement comprising utilizing as said detectable luminescent compound a compound of the formula A-A′-Z-B′-B, wherein: A is a targeting group that specifically binds said detectable luminescent compound to said target compound, cell or particle, said targeting group selected from the group consisting of protein, peptide and antibody; A′ is a linking group or covalent bond; B′ is a linking group or covalent bond; B is a water-soluble group containing at least one ionic or polar group selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, alkoxy, carboxy, nitro, cyano, amino, amido, ureido, sulfonamido, sulfinyl, sulfhydryl, silyl, S-sulfonamido, N-sulfonamido, C-carboxy, O-carboxy, C-amido, N-amido, sulfonyl, phosphono, morpholino, piperazinyl, tetrazolo, alcohol, thiol, polyethylene glycol, polyol, sulfonamide, carboxamide, hydrazide, N-hydroxycarboxamide, urea, metal chelates, carboxylate, sulfonate, phosphate, amine, N-oxide, ammonium, uronic acid, carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, amine, guanidinium, phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, phosphatidyl choline, phosphonium, borate, sulfate, and combinations thereof; and Z is said porphyrinic macrocycle selected from the group consisting of bacteriochlorins and isobacteriochlorins.