APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CARRYING OUT A MULTI-STAGE IMMUNOASSAY OF AT LEAST ONE BIOLOGICAL SUBSTANCE IN A PLURALITY OF BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES; METHOD AND REAGENT USING SAID APPARATUS

摘要

Washing device useful in immunoassay comprises (1) at least one system for applying a magnetic field to the lower parts of reaction tubes (Tr) contg. a test sample and at least one assay reagent, at least one of these reagents being in the form of magnetisable beads; and (2) a wash head comprising a system for aspiration of liq. from the tubes; a system for distributing washing fluid to the tubes and opt. a system for distributing a suitable substrate. Appts. for automated immunoassay of at least one substance in many samples, by a multistep cycle, comprises (1) a sample module comprising supports for sample-contg. tubes; (2) a reaction module comprising (a) several supports for Tr which are to be filled successively with aliquots of sample and reagents and (b) a washing device as described above; (3) reagent module comprising several tubes contg. reagents (at least one being magnetisable beads); (4) a system for removal and distribution of the samples into Tr; (5) system similar to (4) for the reagents; (6) system for measuring the reactions which occur and (7) computer for controlling the various components and carrying out a succession of analytical cycles.