ANALYTICAL ROTORS AND METHODS FOR ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL FLUIDS

摘要

An analytical rotor (10) for separating cellular components from a biological sample includes a plurality of internal chambers and passages for combining the cell-free sample with one or more reagents and distributing the sample to a plurality of individual test wells (92). The chambers and passages necessary for separating cellular components from a sample such as whole blood include a measuring chamber (40), an overflow chamber (44), a separation chamber (60), and a reagent chamber (80). The measuring chamber (40) and overflow chamber (44) have capillary dimensions so that an initial volume of whole blood partitions therebetween, with the measuring chamber filling first to provide a preselected volume. The separation chamber (60) is located radially outward from both the measuring chamber (40) and the reagent chamber (80) so that spinning of the rotor causes both the reagent and the measured blue volume to flow outward into the separation chamber (60). A collection chamber (90) is formed to receive the plasma from the separation chamber (60). Further spinning of the rotor causes the plasma to flow radially outward into a plurality of tes t well (92) formed around the periphery of the collection chamber (90). Testing of the separated plasma volumes may be performed without removing the plasma from the rotor.