Patent ID: 7871813
Filing Date: 2011-01-18
Classification: B01L,B03C,G01N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of testing a cell-containing sample for an analyte, comprising: providing a flexible container having a plurality of fluidly discontinuous compartments, including a sample reacting compartment, different first and second reagents contained in first and second reagent compartments, respectively, and a signal detection compartment; wherein the container has a flexible top sheet and a flexible bottom sheet, wherein at least one of the compartments is formed by the flexible top sheet and bottom sheet, and wherein at least a portion of the top sheet and bottom sheet is transparent; receiving the cell-containing sample into the sample reacting compartment; illuminating the cell-containing sample enclosed within one of the compartments on one side of the container with light at a wavelength, thereby creating a light scatter signal, and reading the light scatter signal on the same side of the container; calculating a hematocrit value using the light scatter signal and a predetermined linear relationship between reflectance and the hematocrit value at the wavelength; contacting a surface of the container with a device having a plurality of actuators; operating multiple different sets of the actuators to independently add the first and second reagents to the sample in a variable sequence and time delay; moving at least a portion of the reacted sample between the sample reacting compartment and the sample detection compartment using at least one of the sets of actuators; and reading an analyte-dependent signal from the reacted sample contained in the sample detection compartment, wherein the analyte dependent signal is a signal other than hematocrit, and using the hematocrit value to normalize the analyte-dependent signal to thereby calculate a test result.