METHODS FOR TESTING THE INTEGRITY OF MEMBRANES AND OPTICALLY OR ELECTROCHEMICALLY DETECTABLE NANOPROBES THEREOF

摘要

A method for evaluating the integrity of microf iltration, ultrafiltration and nanof iltration membranes, which method comprises passing a liquid that contains a substantially mono-dispersed population of nano-probes selected from gold nanoparticles, and viruses and bacteriophages labled with a fluorescent marker or a reaction catalyzing group through said membrane to form a permeate and testing said permeate for the presence of said nano-probes, wherein the non-detection of said nano-probes in said permeate indicates that said membrane is substantially intact.