Patent ID: 11904315
Assignee: WAINAMICS, INC.
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C | IPC B  C

Claim 13:
14. A device for performing a bioassay on a biological sample to determine the presence or quantity of one or more biomolecules, the device comprising:
a sample chamber having oblong dimensions with a top and a bottom and a first inlet at its top for accepting a biological sample or a sample fluid containing a biological sample, a vent port at its top allowing the passage of air but not liquid, and an outlet at its bottom connected to a first conduit;
a metering chamber having a top and a bottom such that the bottom of the metering chamber is (a) connected to and in fluid communication with a reagent chamber, (b) connected to and in fluid communication with the outlet of the sample chamber through the first conduit, (c) connected at the top of the metering chamber to a metering vent port, and (d) connected at the top of the metering chamber to and in fluid communication with a mixing chamber conduit;
a detection chamber having a top and a bottom, the detection chamber being in fluid communication with the mixing chamber by a passage connecting the bottom of the detection chamber to the bottom of the mixing chamber, and the detection chamber being connected at its top to a detection vent port that allows the passage of air but not liquid;
wherein the reagent chamber contains assay reagents, the reagent chamber being connected to the bottom of the metering chamber by a passage and connected to a reagent vent port allowing the passage of air but not liquid;
wherein the first conduit is connected to and provides fluid communication between the outlet of the sample chamber and the bottom of the metering chamber and is in fluid communication with the passage connecting the reagent chamber to the bottom of the metering chamber, wherein fluid occupying the first conduit has a fluid resistance such that whenever pressure is applied to the reagent chamber from the reagent vent port a flow of reagents from the reagent chamber moves substantially only into the metering chamber; and
wherein the mixing chamber (i) has a top and a bottom and is in fluid communication with the metering chamber by a passage that connects the bottom of the mixing chamber to the top of the metering chamber, and (ii) is connected at its top to a mixing vent port that allows the passage of air but not liquid, and wherein the mixing chamber or the reagent chamber or both chambers contain a predetermined quantity of wax having a melting temperature such that the wax forms a bubble-preventing layer on a reaction mixture whenever the reaction mixture is above the melting temperature of the wax.