Encoded Molecular Sieve Particle Based Sensor (AKA Molecular Sieve-Based Fiber-Optic Microwell Array Sensor) (AKA Encoded Molecular Sieve Particle-Based Sensors)

University of Texas at Dallas
posted on 08/06/2010

Identification of Chemical Functionalities based on Encoded Molecular Sieve Particles in an Optical Sensor Analytical System

The Technology in Brief

Advances in genomics and chemical technologies have made the extraction of medically valuable information, and encoding and identification of chemical functionalities across a variety of industries including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, foods, chemical, and petrochemicals one of the most valuable components of research. The patented invention offers a cost effective, flexible, and efficient chemical analysis method comprising encoded molecular sieve particles in an optical sensor analytical system to encode and identify chemical functionalities.

Background

The present chemical functionalities encoding technology through the use of microspheres, microbeads or other microparticles is restricted due to limited number of methods available to encode the array. In addition, there is a physical limitation to how many ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared dyes can be used simultaneously to encode an array. Present microparticle-based analytical systems focus on the microparticle's chemical functionality and luminescent signature only and none offer size and shape selectivity.

The UT Dallas inventors found that molecular sieve particles having specific morphologies and pore sizes can be used to fill an array of microwells etched into the distal face of an optical fiber bundle. The molecular sieves can be further modified to form the basis of an optical chemical sensor or biosensor which also forms the basis for combinatorial encoding and/or analysis.

Description of Invention

The patented invention offers an analytic chemistry system in which populations of encoded molecular sieve particles carrying different chemical functionalities are distributed into wells etched in an optical fiber bundle. It also provides selectivity based on the molecular sieves' macroscopic geometric shapes and their molecular-sized pore diameters. The chemical functionalities are encoded on separate shaped molecular sieve particles using luminescent dyes and/or molecular sieve particle shapes and thus, a single sensor array may carry thousands of chemistries. These molecular sieve particle-based fiber-optic microwell array sensors form the basis for combinatorial encoding and/or analysis. In addition, such encoded molecular sieve particles can provide at least a five-fold enhancement in tunable parameters for increasing the encoding possibilities of high throughput screening assays relative to the present dye-modified polymeric microsphere, microbead or microparticle standard.

Benefits

· Greater selectivity based on molecular sieves' macroscopic geometric shapes and their molecular-sized pore diameters

· Five-fold enhancement in tunable parameters for increasing the encoding possibilities

· Added encoding possibilities resulting from the plurality of molecular sieve microscopic geometric shapes

· Can be synthesized with higher atomic weight atoms such as Aluminum and transitional metals permitting a variety of new and alternative methods

Applications

· In the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries to perform various tests to extract medically valuable information

· Encoding and identification of chemical functionalities across a wide variety of industries including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, foods, chemical, and petrochemicals

IP Status

· United States Patent 6,790,672 titled "Encoded molecular sieve particle-based sensors"

Inventors

· Jung-Mo Ahn, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, UT Dallas

· Balkus Jr., Kenneth J. (The Colony, TX)

· Pantano, Paul (Plano, TX)

· Meek, Claudia C. (Dallas, TX)

· Coutinho, Decio H. (Dallas, TX)

Licensing Opportunity

This technology is available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing.

Please contact: otc@utdallas.edu

Reference No.: UTD-01-008