Bioanalysis system and method using probe arrays

摘要

A bioanalytic method (AP1) replenishes depleted zones in a sample liquid (161, 162, 163) in a shallow probe-array reaction cell (101, 102, 103) under ultragravity centrifugal forces. The ultragravity overcomes viscous and surface-tension forces to permit replenishment despite a shallow reaction-cell depth of 25 microns. Thus, replenishment is achieved using 1/10 the sample volume normally used in probe-array systems that use mixing to facilitate binding reactions. For similar amounts of sample, the shallow cell takes advantage of a ten-times greater concentration to achieve much greater signal strengths in much shorter times. Thus, signal strengths that normally take 17 hours to achieve are achieved in about 60 minutes.