Patent ID: 8624592

Claim:
A device for the detection of one or more analytes, the device comprising: a support defining a well holding a liquid sample comprising magnetic particles and the one or more analytes, the magnetic particles having binding moieties linked thereto; and an RF coil disposed about the liquid sample, the RF coil configured to detect an NMR relaxation response produced by exposing the liquid sample to a bias magnetic field created using one or more magnets and an RF excitation, wherein the RF coil has a characteristic dimension from about 10 μm to about 1000 μm, and wherein at least one of the binding moieties is operative to bind to at least one of the following: (i) the one or more analytes; (ii) another of the binding moieties; and (iii) an aggregation-inducing molecule in the liquid sample, thereby producing an aggregate of multiply-linked magnetic particles as a function of the presence or concentration of the one or more analytes in the liquid sample.