Patent ID: 8133411

Claim:
A fluorescent polymer soluble in an aqueous solution carrying at least 5 fluorophores which are distributed on the polymer and which exhibit the following properties: the fluorophores are water-soluble, the fluorophores are not self-associated in water at a concentration of less than or equal to 10 −4 mol/l, the fluorophores which are free in the aqueous solution have a molar extinction coefficient of greater than 1000 M −1 cm −1 and the fluorophores which are free in the aqueous solution have a quantum yield of greater than 0.3, wherein: the fluorophores are selected from the group consisting of N-(5-aminopentyl)-4-amino-3,6-disulfo-1,8-naphthalimide, 3,6-diamino-9-(2-methoxycarbonyl)phenyl, 9-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2,3,6,7,12,13,16,17-octahydro-1H,5H,11H,15H-xantheno[2,3,4-ij:5,6,7i′j′]diquinolizin-18-ium,9-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-3,6-bis(ethylamino)-2,7-dimethylxanthylium, 3,6-bis(diethylamino)-9-(2,4-disulfophenyl)′xanthylium, and derivatives thereof; and wherein said polymer: is in the form of a random copolymer, comprising at least two distinct repeat entities, one entity carrying the fluorophore and at least one other hydrophilic entity, has a polydispersity index of less than 1.5, and a fluorescence amplification factor of greater than or equal to 0.35 per kg/mol of polymer, is obtained using a living ionic polymerization or controlled radical polymerization method, and has less than 2.4 kg/mol of polymer per fluorophore.