US Patent 7655479 - Q-dot biomarker for cancer detection

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655479.html

This patent is from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and teaches the use of photo-enhanced nanocrystals to assist in the early detection of ovarian or lung cancer. Claim 1 reads:

1. A luminescent, bio-conjugate for use in the detection of cancerous and precancerous biomarkers in a sample, comprising:

a luminescent semi-conductor nanoparticle;

wherein the nanoparticle is photo-enhanced with electromagnetic energy at between 325 nm and 488 nm, thereby generating electron-hole carrier pairs; and

at least one antibody associated with at least one cancer to be detected.