Patent ID: 9360433
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: G01N

Claim Text:
1. A method for detecting agglutination of particles comprising: providing one or more reaction vessels containing particles to be analyzed, each of the one or more reaction vessels comprising a light path and having a predetermined shape such that a force causes particles in each of the one or more reaction vessels to concentrate about the light path, such that the concentration increases an optical density of the light path, providing one or more light detectors positioned so as to be able to detect light travelling on the light path and capable of generating an electrical signal that varies with the intensity of the detected light, and providing a processor to analyze the electrical signal from at least one of the one or more light detectors and output a signal indicative of agglutination in at least one of the one or more reaction vessels when the output signal is compared to a threshold; wherein at least one of the one or more reaction vessels comprises an upper volume, a lower volume, and a transition region positioned between the upper volume and the lower volume, the upper volume having a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of the lower volume, and the transition region having a profile that cause particles to move from the upper volume into the lower volume to be concentrated about the light path, and the profile of the transition region comprises two curved sections; passing light along said light path through said reaction vessels to said one or more light detectors to generate said electrical signal that varies with the intensity of detected light; and detecting agglutination of particles based on said electrical signal.