Amethyst H Lam

20020172980, Nov 21, 2002

Feb 28, 2002

10/087549

Brigitte Phan - Irvine CA, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
KaYuen Yeung - San Francisco CA, US

G01N033/53

435/007100

Methods for decreasing non-specific bindings of beads in dual bead assays and related optical bio-discs and disc drive systems. The methods are employed to determine the suitability of a test solid phase for use in a dual bead assay. The methods include identifying whether a target agent is present in a biological sample and involve mixing capture beads, each having at least one transport probe affixed thereto. Reporter beads each have at least one signal probe affixed thereto. The reporter and capture beads are each bound to the target agent. The methods further include isolating the dual bead complex from the mixture to obtain an isolate, and exposing the isolate to a capture field on a disc. Detecting the presence of the dual bead complex in the disc is then performed to determine whether the target agent is present in the sample. The method further includes pre-treating capture beads and reporter beads with detergents prior to capture, treating capture beads and reporter beads with blocking agents prior to target capture, and performing the mixing in an intermittent manner. The beads are preferably mixed only when they start to settle down in the tube or on the disc. The methods also provide for evaluation of non-specific binding of the dual bead assay in the presence of salt concentrations ranging from 0.1M up to 1M and use of a new wash buffer having 10 mM EDTA.

20030003464, Jan 2, 2003

Nov 27, 2001

09/997741

Brigitte Phan - Fountain Valley CA, US
Jorma Virtanen - Las Vegas NV, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
Shih-Li Lo - Fullerton CA, US
James Coombs - Irvine CA, US

C12Q001/68
G01N033/53
G01N033/553

435/006000, 436/526000

A method for determining whether a target agent is present in a biological sample includes mixing magnetic capture beads, each having at least one transport probe affixed thereto, reporter beads, each bead having at least one signal probe affixed thereto, and a biological sample, under binding conditions which permit formation of a dual bead complex if the target agent is present in the sample, wherein the dual bead complex comprises the reporter bead bound to the target agent which is in turn bound to the magnetic capture bead; isolating the dual bead complex from the mixture by subjecting the mixture to a magnetic field; loading the isolate into an optical disc, the optical disc having an capture layer having affixed thereto, within a capture field, a capture agent that binds to the dual bead complex specifically; and detecting the presence of the dual bead complex in the optical disc, the presence of the dual bead complex indicating that the target agent is present in the sample.

20030082568, May 1, 2003

Mar 14, 2002

10/099266

Brigitte Phan - Fountain Valley CA, US
Jorma Virtanen - Las Vegas NV, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
KaYuen Yeung - San Francisco CA, US
James Coombs - Irvine CA, US

C12Q001/68
C12M001/34

435/006000, 435/287200

Methods for decreasing non-specific bindings of beads in dual bead assays and related optical bio-discs and disc drive systems. Methods include identifying whether a target agent is present in a biological sample and mixing capture beads each having at least one transport probe affixed thereto, reporter beads each having at least one signal probe affixed thereto, and a biological sample. Mixing is performed under binding conditions to permit formation of a dual bead complex if the target agent is present in the sample. The reporter bead and capture bead each are bound to the target agent. Denaturing the target agent and keeping it in the denatured form by use of a specialized hybridization buffer is also provided. A denaturing agent is guanidine isothiocynate. Methods further include isolating the dual bead complex from the mixture to obtain an isolate, exposing the isolate to a capture field on a disc, and detecting the presence of the dual bead complex in the disc to indicate that the target agent is present in the sample. The methods may further include selectively breaking up non-specific binding between capture beads and reporter beads employing a digestion agent. Also employed is a method for selectively breaking up non-specific binding between capture beads and reporter beads using a wash buffer containing a chemical agent. The methods are applied to detecting medical targets.

20050032089, Feb 10, 2005

Mar 4, 2004

10/793335

Brigitte Phan - Irvine CA, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
Shih-Li Lo - Fullerton CA, US

B05D003/00
C12Q001/68
C12M001/34

435006000, 435287200, 427002110

A wide variety of current diagnostic and other biochemical tests employ a substance, such as a chromagen, that undergoes a detectable color development or change of fluorescent emission in the presence of the analyte of interest. The intensity of the color or fluorescence developed may be time dependent and proportional to the concentration of the analyte of interest. Systems, methods, and components usable for quantifying the concentration of an analyte of interest in a biological sample on optical biodiscs are disclosed herein. Analytes may include, for example, glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides. In one embodiment, reagents are immobilized on the optical disc prior to the assay.

20060068409, Mar 30, 2006

Feb 28, 2005

11/069760

Brigitte Phan - Irvine CA, US
Jorma Virtanen - Las Vegas NV, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
KaYuen Yeung - San Francisco CA, US
James Coombs - Irvine CA, US

C12Q 1/68
C12M 1/34

435006000, 435287200

Methods for decreasing non-specific bindings of beads in dual bead assays and related optical bio-discs and disc drive systems. Methods include identifying whether a target agent is present in a biological sample and mixing capture beads each having at least one transport probe affixed thereto, reporter beads each having at least one signal probe affixed thereto, and a biological sample. Mixing is performed under binding conditions to permit formation of a dual bead complex if the target agent is present in the sample. The reporter bead and capture bead each are bound to the target agent. Denaturing the target agent and keeping it in the denatured form by use of a specialized hybridization buffer is also provided. A denaturing agent is guanidine isothiocynate. Methods further include isolating the dual bead complex from the mixture to obtain an isolate, exposing the isolate to a capture field on a disc, and detecting the presence of the dual bead complex in the disc to indicate that the target agent is present in the sample. The methods may further include selectively breaking up non-specific binding between capture beads and reporter beads employing a digestion agent. Also employed is a method for selectively breaking up non-specific binding between capture beads and reporter beads using a wash buffer containing a chemical agent. The methods are applied to detecting medical targets.

20070166721, Jul 19, 2007

Jun 23, 2004

10/874817

Brigitte Phan - Irvine CA, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
James Coombs - Singapore, SG
John Gordon - Irvine CA, US

C12Q 1/68
C12M 3/00

435006000, 435287200

When the quantification of an analyte is based on a color change detected by a change in the amount of light transmitted or reflected, undiluted samples often saturate the detection range of the assay. Thus, very often, the sample needs to be diluted for reliable quantification. Disclosed are systems and method, including various configurations of fluidic circuits for us on an optical bio-disc, that advantageously allow the use of undiluted and/or whole blood samples for colorimetric assays on optical bio-disc is described.

20020168663, Nov 14, 2002

Feb 26, 2002

10/086941

Brigitte Phan - Irvine CA, US
Jorma Virtanen - Irvine CA, US
Amethyst Lam - Irvine CA, US
KaYuen Yeung - San Francisco CA, US

C12Q001/68
G03C001/492
G03C001/494
G03C001/76
C12M001/34

435/006000, 435/287200, 430/273100

The invention provides for methods of conjugating biochemical probes onto a solid phase for use in biomedical assays as implemented in conjunction with an optical bio-disc system. The method includes determining the suitability of a test solid phase for purposes of use in a dual bead assay, selecting a test solid phase, conjugating a probe to the test solid phase in the presence or absence of a cross-linking agent, and determining the total amount of probe bound to the test solid phase in the presence or absence of a cross-linking agent. The method is further employed to determine the percentage of probe bound covalently or non-covalently to the solid phase and calculating the percentage of probe bound covalently thereby selecting the solid phase with the highest conjugation efficiency. The invention is further directed at methods for determining whether a target agent is present in a biological sample. A bio-disc for performing a dual bead assay according to these methods is also provided.