Immediate ligand detection assay

Claim 2

An immediate ligand detection process, comprising: (a) placing in an aqueous suspension a plurality of support particles impregnated with a fluorescer and to which ligands have been attached; (b) adding to the suspension fluid a radiolabeled sample reactant capable of specifically biochemically binding to the ligand, said radiolabeled sample reactant emitting radiation energy capable of activating the fluorescer, upon the binding of the sample reactant to the ligand, the sample reactant is disposed in close enough proximity to the support particles to cause the radition energy from the sample reactant to activate the fluorescer to produce light energy, whereas the sample reactant that does not bind to the ligand is generally too far removed from the support particles to enable the radioactive energy to activate the fluorescer; and (c) measuring the light energy emitted by the fluorescer with the entire quantities of the support particles and radiolabeled sample reactant remaining together in aqueous suspension.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the fluorescer is insoluble in water.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, wherein the fluorescer is diphenyloxazole.

Claim 5

The process of claim 2, further including impregnating the support particles with a fluorescer by: (a) placing the fluorescer in solution in a solvent that is miscible in water; (b) adding support particles to the solution, said support particles being porous to the solution; (c) removing the support particles from the solution; and (d) exposing the support particles to water to precipitate the fluorescer impregnated therein.

Claim 6

The process of claim 4, wherein the fluorescer is diphenyloxazole.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5, wherein the solvent is dimethyl sulfoxide.

Claim 8

The process of claim 4 further including the step of dehydrating the support particles by soaking them in the solvent before adding them to the solution.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein the sample reactant is labeled with beta ray or auger electron producing radioactive material.

Claim 10

A competitive immediate ligand detection assay process, comprising: combining together in an aqueous medium: a sample to be assayed containing an unknown amount of cold ligand reactant; a known quantity of radiolabeled ligand reactant; and a plurality of support particles having fluorescer integrated therewith capable of emitting photons when activated by the radiation energy emitted by the radiolabeled ligand and having ligand attached to the outer surface thereto, said ligand capable of indiscriminately binding with both said cold and radiolabeled ligand reactant whereupon the binding of the ligand with the radiolabeled ligand reactant positions the radiolabeled ligand reactant close enough to the support particles to activate the fluorescer to emit photons through the aqueous medium, whereas the unbound radiolabeled ligand reactant is generally positioned too far away from the support particles to enable the radioactive energy emitted thereby to activate the fluorescer; and measuring the photons emitted by the fluorescer with the entire quantities of cold ligand reactant containing sample, radiolabeled ligand reactant and support particles remaining combined together in the aqueous medium.

Claim 11

A competitive immediate ligand detection assay process, comprising: combining together in an aqueous medium: a sample to be assayed containing an unknown amount of cold ligand reactant; a known quantity of radiolabeled ligand reactant; and a plurality of support particles having fluorescer integrated therewith capable of emitting photons when activated by the radiation energy emitted by the radiolabeled ligand and having ligand attached to the outer surface thereto, said ligand capable of indiscriminately binding with both said cold and radiolabeled ligand reactant whereupon the binding of the ligand with the radiolabeled ligand reactant positions the radiolabeled ligand reactant close enough to the support particles to activate the fluorescer to emit photons through the aqueous medium, whereas the unbound radiolabeled ligand reactant is generally positioned too far away from the support particles to enable the radioactive energy emitted thereby to activate the fluorescer; and measuring the photons emitted by the fluorescer with the entire quantities of cold ligand reactant containing sample, radiolabeled ligand reactant and support particles remaining combined together in the aqueous medium.

Claim 12

The assay of claim 9, wherein the fluorescer is insoluble in water.

Claim 13

The assay of claim 10, wherein the fluorescer includes diphenyloxazole.

Claim 14

The assay of claim 10 further including integrating the fluorescer with the support particles by: (a) placing the fluorescer in solution in a solvent that is miscible in water; (b) adding the support particles to the solution, said support particles being porous to the solution; (c) removing the support particles from the solution; and (d) exposing the support particles to water to precipitate the fluorescer integrated with the support particles.

Claim 15

The assay of claim 12, wherein the fluorescer includes diphenyloxazole.

Claim 16

The assay of claim 13, wherein the solvent includes dimethyl sulfoxide.

Claim 17

The assay of claim 12, further including the step of dehydrating the support particles by soaking them in the solvent before adding the particles to the solution.