See the Light

IGEN's ORIGEN Analyzer

For diagnostics, drug discovery, and basic research, nothing beats the right assay. IGEN International of Gaithersburg, Md., has developed a new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) detection process, termed ORIGEN Technology, that can be applied to many different types of binding assays. IGEN's M-SERIES Analyzer uses ECL to speed immunoassays, quantitation of nucleic acids, receptor-ligand binding assays, and measurement of viruses and bacteria.

IGEN's ORIGEN Technology is based upon the measurement of light generated by the oxidation and reduction of a ruthenium metal ion at the surface of an electrode. The ruthenium chelate is only brought to the electrode when the binding interaction under study occurs, so a measurement of emitted light precisely quantitates specific binding.

The M-SERIES Analyzer is a flexible instrument that accommodates sandwich, direct, and competitive assay designs. A sandwich-type ORIGEN immunoassay, for example, requires several components: A sample containing the analyte under study, an analyte-recognizing antibody...