Biological fluid assay system

[54] BIOLOGICAL FLUID ASSAY SYSTEM

[75] Inventors: Peter M. Meserol; Jesse L. Acker, both of Whippany, N.J.

[73] Assignee: Gamma Biologicals, Inc., Houston, Tex.

[21] Appl. No.: 660,721

[22] Filed: Oct. 18, 1984

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 546,345, Oct. 28, 1983, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI.4 G01N 21/07; G01N 35/06

[52] U.S. CI 422/72; 356/246;

356/427; 422/100; 422/102; 422/104; 494/21

[58] Field of Search 356/427, 246; 250/577;

494/21; 422/63-67, 72, 73, 102, 104, 100

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

3,532,470 10/1970 Rochte 422/61

3,620,678 11/1971 Guigan 422/66

3,679,129 7/1972 Livshitz et al 422/72

3,713,775 1/1973 Schmitz 422/72

4,148,607 4/1979 Bernoco et al 422/72

4,309,384 1/1982 Trod 422/72

4,344,768 8/1982 Parker 422/72

4,528,159 7/1985 Liston 422/63

4,558,947 12/1985 Wardlaw 356/40

Primary Examiner—Michael S. Marcus

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Arnold, White & Durkee

[57] ABSTRACT

A biological fluid assay system and method for the determination of immunoreactive characteristics of biological specimen and more particularly for the qualitative determination of immunological reactions. The apparatus includes a centrifuge rotor, a disposable belt mountable on the centrifuge rotor, and a plurality of light transmissive chambers as components of the removable belt, each of the chambers having a vertical apex and a horizontal radial apex for accepting a sample comprising a specimen and an appropriate reagent. An illumination system projects an image of the sample while a linear photosensitive array detects the image of the sample for measuring the vertical dimension of the sample and a microprocessor analyzes the vertical dimension of the sample. A sample is radially accelerated to compress the particulate portion of the sample or reagent into a compact mass in the extreme radial portion of the transparent chamber. The centrifugal force on the sample is balanced with the gravitational force acting on the compact mass by decelerating the rotor. The vertical dimension of the compact mass is measured while the sample is rotating. The vertical dimension of the compact mass is again measured after a delay to determine the presence of vertical streaming. The difference between the vertical dimension of the compact mass before streaming and the vertical dimension of the mass after streaming is completed, due to gravitational attraction, is determined.

15 Claims, 24 Drawing Figures