Systems and methods to perform assays for detecting or quantifying analytes

摘要

The present invention relates to a system for measuring a signal emitted by the contents of each of a plurality of reaction receptacles comprising: a moving reaction receptacle carrier including a plurality of reaction receptacle stations, each of said reaction receptacle stations carrying two or more reaction receptacles; a signal measuring device constructed and arranged to measure the amount of a signal emitted by the contents of a reaction receptacle placed in operative proximity to said signal measuring device, said signal measuring device being positioned with respect to said reaction receptacle carrier such that reaction receptacles carried on said reaction receptacle carrier are successively moved into operative proximity to said signal measuring device as said reaction receptacle carrier moves the reaction receptacles; and a signal measuring device transport mechanism constructed and arranged to move said signal measuring device with respect to said reaction receptacle carrier, wherein said reaction receptacle carrier is controlled so as to successively present each said reaction receptacle station in a signal measuring position in which one of the reaction receptacles carried in the reaction receptacle station is in operative proximity to said signal measuring device and said signal measuring device transport mechanism is controlled so as to move said signal measuring device with respect to said reaction receptacle carrier to successively place said signal measuring device in operative proximity to each of the reaction receptacles carried in the reaction receptacle station moved into the signal measuring position.