| CPC G01N 33/54386 (2013.01) [G01N 35/04 (2013.01); G01N 35/1009 (2013.01); G01N 35/1079 (2013.01); G01N 2035/0441 (2013.01); G01N 2035/1032 (2013.01); G01N 2035/1062 (2013.01)] | 21 Claims |
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1. A biochemical assay apparatus for assaying a biological fluid sample comprising:
a detection instrument which comprises:
an enclosure;
a movable platform in the enclosure selectively movable to a plurality of positions;
a linear actuator mounted in the enclosure above the movable platform and actuatable along a linear axis;
a sample processing device mounted or mountable on the movable platform in the enclosure which comprises:
a manifold;
a compartmentalised housing mounted on the manifold and capable of receiving the biological fluid sample in an elongate fluid compartment, wherein the compartmentalised housing has a valve compartment, a rack compartment and an elongate air chamber which is sealed by an air plunger;
a rack of elongate vessels mounted in the rack compartment at an elevated non-deployed position or at a non-elevated deployed position, wherein each elongate vessel defines a fluid chamber which is sealed by a fluid plunger, wherein the rack of elongate vessels is movable from the elevated non-deployed position to the non-elevated deployed position to cause the elongate vessels to fluidly connect to the manifold;
an antibody array mounted beneath a floor of the manifold such that the manifold is able to fluidly couple each elongate vessel selectively to the antibody array; and
an array valve which has a closed position which isolates the elongate vessels from the antibody array and an open position which fluidly connects the elongate vessels to the antibody array via the manifold,
wherein when the rack of elongate vessels is in the non-elevated deployed position, the movable platform is moved sequentially to selected ones of the plurality of positions,
wherein in an initial position of the plurality of positions, the linear actuator is coaxial with the elongate air chamber whereby on actuation the linear actuator is configured to depress the air plunger in order to cause air from the elongate air chamber to enter the elongate fluid compartment and to flush the biological fluid sample into a first fluid chamber of a first elongate vessel of the rack of elongate vessels containing a first diluent reagent to form a diluted biological fluid sample,
wherein in a first position of the plurality of positions, the linear actuator is coaxial with the first fluid chamber of the first elongate vessel whereby on actuation the linear actuator depresses the fluid plunger of the first elongate vessel to cause the diluted biological fluid sample to enter the antibody array via the manifold,
wherein in a second position of the plurality of positions, the linear actuator is coaxial with a second fluid chamber of a second elongate vessel of the rack of elongate vessels whereby on actuation the linear actuator depresses the fluid plunger of a second elongate vessel to cause a wash reagent to enter the antibody array via the manifold and
wherein in a third position of the plurality of positions, the linear actuator is coaxial with a third fluid chamber of a third elongate vessel of the rack of elongate vessels whereby on actuation the linear actuator depresses the fluid plunger of the third elongate vessel to cause an assay label reagent to enter the antibody array via the manifold.
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