Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A homogeneous assay method for determining the presence or amount of a first nucleic acid in a medium, comprising the steps of: contacting a free second nucleic acid with said medium to form a hybridization mixture, wherein said free second nucleic acid is able to hybridize with said first nucleic acid under hybridizing conditions to form a binding pair, and wherein said second nucleic acid is chemically bonded to an N-acridinium ester which is selectively susceptible to chemical degradation by a chemical selected from the group consisting of an acid, a base, and an oxidizing agent, to form an altered N-acridinium ester dependent upon whether said second nucleic acid is free or forms part of said binding pair; treating said hybridization mixture with said chemical such that N-acridinium ester chemically bonded to free second nucleic acid is degraded to form altered N-acridinium ester and N-acridinium ester present in a binding pair is undegraded; and determining the amount of undegraded N-acridinium ester remaining after said treating step, without physically separating any said free second nucleic acid from any said binding pair, as a measure of the presence or amount of said first nucleic acid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
193 words
A homogeneous assay method for determining the presence or amount of a first nucleic acid in a medium, comprising the steps of: contacting a free second nucleic acid with said medium to form a hybridization mixture, wherein said free second nucleic acid is able to hybridize with said first nucleic acid under hybridizing conditions to form a binding pair, and wherein said second nucleic acid is chemically bonded to an N-acridinium ester which is selectively susceptible to chemical degradation by a chemical selected from the group consisting of an acid, a base, and an oxidizing agent, to form an altered N-acridinium ester dependent upon whether said second nucleic acid is free or forms part of said binding pair; treating said hybridization mixture with said chemical such that N-acridinium ester chemically bonded to free second nucleic acid is degraded to form altered N-acridinium ester and N-acridinium ester present in a binding pair is undegraded; and determining the amount of undegraded N-acridinium ester remaining after said treating step, without physically separating any said free second nucleic acid from any said binding pair, as a measure of the presence or amount of said first nucleic acid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein determining the amount of label comprises the addition of H 2 O 2 .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said chemical is an acid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said chemical is a base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said chemical is an oxidizing agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 3 wherein said acid is HNO 3 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said base is NaOH.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said method allows detection of 10 -16 Mol of said first nucleic acid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
162 words
The method of claim 1, in which said N-acridinium ester comprises the chemical formula ##STR11## wherein is selected from the group consisting of O, N, S, halogen, phosphorus, boron, and arsenic; Y is selected from the group consisting of O, S, or NH; R 1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkoxy, and aryloxy, or wherein R 1 is absent when X is a halogen; R 2 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkoxy and aryloxy when X is N, or wherein R 2 is absent when X is not N; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, amino, hydroxy, thiol, halogen, nitro, amido, acetyl, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkoxy, and aryloxy; R 4 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkenyl, and aryl; and wherein at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , or R 4 contains a reactive site which allows chemical conjugation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said chemical is an acid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said chemical is a base.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 9 wherein said chemical is an oxidizing agent.