Flow method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence
View Patent ↗Method and apparatus for screening chemicals using micro x-ray fluorescence. A method for screening a mixture of potential pharmaceutical chemicals for binding to at least one target binder involves flow separating a solution of chemicals and target binders into separated components, exposing them to an x-ray excitation beam, detecting x-ray fluorescence signals from the components, and determining from the signals whether or not a binding event between a chemical and target binder has occurred.
1. An apparatus for screening chemical binding, comprising:
a flow separator configured to separate a solution of chemicals and at least one target binder into at least two flow-separated components;
an x-ray excitation source configured to expose at least one of said flow-separated components to an x-ray excitation beam to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom, the x-ray excitation source being configured for exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component;
an x-ray detector configured to detect the x-ray fluorescence signal emitted from a flow-separated component;
processing electronics configured to determine 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; and
a pump engaged with said flow separator configured to provide a pressure gradient along said flow separator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a diverter configured to divert a chosen flow-separated component from a remaining solution and any other flow-separated component.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said x-ray excitation beam comprises a polychromatic x-ray excitation beam.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy greater than 12 KeV.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy less than 8 KeV.
6. An apparatus for screening chemical binding, comprising:
a flow separator configured to separate a solution into at least two flow-separated components, the solution comprising at least one chemical and at least one target binder;
a polychromatic x-ray excitation source configured to expose at least one of the flow-separated components to a polychromatic x-ray excitation beam to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom, the polychromatic x-ray excitation source being configured for exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component;
an x-ray detector configured to detect the x-ray fluorescence signal emitted from a flow-separated component; and
means for 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.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy greater than 12 KeV.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said x-ray excitation beam comprises x-rays having an energy less then 8 KeV.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said means for determining whether or not any separated component comprises a bound complex comprises processing electronics configured to determine 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.
10. An apparatus for screening chemical binding, comprising:
a flow separator configured to separate a solution of chemicals and at least one target binder into at least two flow-separated components;
an x-ray excitation source configured to expose at least one of said flow-separated components to an x-ray excitation beam comprising x-rays of less than 9 KeV to produce an x-ray fluorescence signal therefrom, the x-ray excitation source being configured for exciting atoms of the chemical and of a chemical portion of any bound complex present in any flow-separated component;
an x-ray detector configured to detect the x-ray fluorescence signal emitted from a flow-separated component; and
processing electronics configured to determine 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.