Patent ID: 7005265

Claim:
A device for nonenzymatically amplifying the signal from a hybridization reaction between at least a first nucleic acid probe and its cognate nucleic acid target present in fluid solvent, the device comprising: at least one substrate; a first plurality of probe complexes, each having a probe nucleic acid strand and a displacement nucleic acid strand hybridized thereto, the plurality of probe strands being identical and the plurality of displacement strands being identical; and a first plurality of identical docking nucleic acid strands, wherein the displacement strands and the docking strands are immobilized to one of said at least one substrates, said immobilized displacement strands and said immobilized docking strands being spatially segregated from one another, separately addressable, and fluidly communicating upon contact of said device with fluid solvent, wherein the probe strand of said probe complexes has at least three regions, a first region that is substantially complementary to a region of each of the displacement strand, the target, and the docking strand; a second region that is substantially complementary to a region of each of the target and the docking strand, but not substantially complementary to a region of the displacement strand; and a third region that is substantially complementary to a region of the docking strand, but not substantially complementary to a region of either of the displacement strand or the target, whereby contact of target to said device is capable of catalyzing transfer of probe strands from the displacement strands to the spatially segregated, separately addressable docking strands, the transfer of said probe generating a detectable signal.