Method and Apparatus for Automating Chemical and Biological Assays

摘要

A device which collects specimen fluids or performs chemical or biological assays of the specimen fluid is provided with a specimen fluid receiver and a fluid actuated expandable trigger coupled to receive specimen fluid from the specimen fluid receiver such that a predetermined delay occurs before the trigger expands sufficiently to move another component of the device, and the specimen fluid interacts with a substance during the delay. The trigger is made of a material which expands substantially upon absorbing specimen fluid, and it is mounted and positioned so as to contact and move the other component of the device upon expanding through the absorption of specimen fluid. The other component may contain a surface coupled to receive specimen fluid from the specimen fluid receiver and the surface has an area which contains a substance which interacts with the specimen fluid.