Patent ID: 8664008

Claim:
A method of detecting an analyte, comprising providing a magnetic affinity complex and a signal analyte complex in a fluidic network comprising a plurality of fluidic zones, wherein the plurality of fluidic zones comprises a sample zone, a cleaning zone, and a detection zone, wherein the fluidic network is functionally coupled to a vibration element, and wherein the signal analyte complex comprises a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active nanoparticle, an optical nanoparticle, a fluorescent nanoparticle, introducing a sample suspected of comprising an analyte into the sample zone, wherein the analyte combines with the magnetic affinity complex to form a magnetic binding complex, activating a microcoil array or a mechanically movable permanent magnet functionally coupled to the fluidic network to thereby move the magnetic binding complex within the fluidic zone or to another fluidic zone without fluidic movement of a fluid in the plurality of the fluidic zones, displacing the analyte from the magnetic binding complex with the signal analyte complex to form a competitive binding complex, optionally activating the array of microcoils or mechanically movable permanent magnet to move the competitive binding complex within the fluidic network prior to detecting the competitive binding complex and/or the unbound signal analyte complex, and detecting the presence of the unbound signal analyte complex within the detection zone using a detection element functionally coupled to the fluidic network, wherein the detection element is a optical detection element or an electrical detection element.