A method is disclosed for separating a substance from a liquid medium. The method comprises combining the liquid medium containing the substance with magnetic particles under conditions for non-specific chemical binding of the magnetic particles. Thereafter, the medium is subjected to a magnetic field gradient to separate the particles from the medium. The preferred non-specific binding is achieved as the result of charge interactions between the particles usually by means of a polyionic reagent. The method of the invention has particular application to the separation of cells and microorganisms from aqueous suspensions and also to the determination of an analyte in a sample suspected of containing the analyte. The analyte is a member of a specific binding pair (sbp). The sample is combined in an assay medium with magnetic particles and a sbp member complementary to the analyte. Magnetic or non-magnetic particles capable of specific binding to the analyte or its complementary sbp member must be included in the assay medium. The combination is made under conditions for non-specifically aggregating the magnetic particles or coaggregating the magnetic and non-magnetic particles when non-magnetic particles are present. The assay medium is subjected to a magnetic field gradient to separate the aggregated particles from the medium. Then, the medium or the particles are examined for the presence or amount of the analyte or an sbp member, the binding of which is affected by the presence of the analyte.
本发明公开了一种从液体介质中分离物质的方法。该方法包括在磁性颗粒非特异性
化学结合的条件下,将含有物质的液体介质与磁性颗粒结合。然后,将介质置于磁场梯度下,将颗粒从介质中分离出来。首选的非特异性结合是通过颗粒之间的电荷相互作用实现的,通常是通过多离子试剂。本发明的方法特别适用于从
水悬浮液中分离细胞和微
生物,以及测定疑似含有分析物的样品中的分析物。分析物是特异性结合对(sbp)的成员。样品在检测介质中与磁性颗粒和与分析物互补的 sbp 成员结合。检测介质中必须包含能与被分析物或其互补的 sbp 成员特异性结合的磁性或非磁性颗粒。在使磁性颗粒非特异性聚集或使磁性颗粒和非磁性颗粒共同聚集(如果存在非磁性颗粒)的条件下进行组合。将检测介质置于磁场梯度下,使聚集的颗粒与介质分离。然后,检测介质或颗粒中分析物或 sbp 成员的存在或数量,分析物或 sbp 成员的结合会受到分析物存在的影响。