Patent ID: 6165739
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B01L,G01N

Abstract:
A method of conducting at least two simultaneous tests on a single test sample with a laser scanning cytometer, wherein the single test sample is located on a single glass or plastic plate, said method comprising the steps of:a. providing the plate with a test sample reservoir and at least two separated sample portion troughs in fluid connection with the reservoir;b. providing each of the sample troughs with a stable reactant for a test sample, with said stable reactant being different in each sample trough in order to perform different tests on the test sample at the same time, and with said different stable reactants being provided in the sample troughs either before or after the placing of a fluid test sample in the respective sample troughs;c. placing a fluid test sample containing cells in said reservoir wherein fluid connection means causes portions of the test sample to flow into each of the at least two separated sample portion troughs;d. maintaining sufficient cells in each of the portion troughs for a time sufficient for the cells to react with the stable reactant within the individual portion troughs; ande. removing excess reactant cells and scanning each of the portion troughs, containing cells reacted with the stable reactant, with a laser scanning cytometer, whereby test results can be meaningfully obtained by the laser scanning cytometer with minimized background noise.