PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT FLUORESCENCE IMMUNOASSAYS

摘要

A process and device are disclosed for carrying out fluorescence immunoassays. Light is directed from at least one light source onto a surface at one end of an optical fibre and the light coupled into the optical fibre is used to cause at least one labelling substance bound to a chemical or biochemical partner of a general receptor-ligand system to become fluorescent by evanescent field excitation at the surface of the optical fibre. The disclosed solution should allow high precision fluorescence immunoassays to be carried out at low cost and in a short time. For solving this problem, the fluorescent light is decoupled from the optical fibre and directed by optics onto an optical detector for measuring the intensity of the fluorescent light. The optical fibre is contained in a measurement chamber formed in the piston of a pistoncylinder unit and connected to the inside of the cylinder through an inlet formed in the piston.