Granted Patent B2

US 7,519,145 · App. 11/444,660 · Granted Apr 14, 2009

Abstract

Claims (27)

1. A method for determining whether or not chemical binding occurs between at least one target binder and at least one chemical to form a bound complex, comprising:

preparing a solution comprising at least one chemical and at least one target binder;

flow-separating the solution into at least two separated components;

exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow separated component with a polychromatic x-ray excitation beam in order to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom;

detecting the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component; and

determining from the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component whether or not any separated component comprises a bound complex.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising diverting a chosen flow separated component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam comprises an energy spectrum having at least two photon flux maxima peaks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy greater than 12 KeV.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy less than 8 KeV.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam is generated using a microfocus x-ray tube.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam is focused to a diameter of from about 40 microns to about 100 microns.

8. A method for determining whether or not chemical binding occurs between at least one target binder and at least one chemical to form a bound complex, comprising:

preparing a solution comprising at least one chemical and at least one target binder;

flow separating the solution into at least two separated components;

exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component using an x-ray excitation beam comprising x-rays of less than 9 KeV in order to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom;

detecting the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and in the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component; and

determining from the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component whether or not any separated component comprises a bound complex.

9. A method for determining whether or not chemical binding occurs between at least one target binder and at least one chemical to form a bound complex, comprising:

preparing a solution comprising at least one chemical and at least one target binder;

flow-separating the solution using a pressure gradient into at least two separated components;

exciting atoms of a chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component using an x-ray excitation beam to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom;

detecting the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical and the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component; and

determining from the x-ray fluorescence signal produced from the excited atoms present in the chemical portion of any bound complex present in a separated component whether or not any separated component comprises a bound complex.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising diverting a chosen flow-separated component.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy greater than 12 KeV.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy less than 8 KeV.

Assignments (17)