Patent ID: 6852289
Filing Date: 2005-02-08
Classification: B01L,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for non-electrophoretic determination of the presence of at least one analyte in at least one flowable sample, said apparatus comprising: a housing having a cavity formed therein; at least one filtrate-receiving vessel positioned within the cavity of the housing, the filtrate-receiving vessel having an open end; at least one membrane module positioned over the open end of the at least one filtrate-receiving vessel, the at least one membrane module having portions formed of a first hard material and portions formed of a second elastomeric material; at least one sample-receiving well, each sample-receiving well being positioned in association with one of said membrane components such that sample place within a particular sample receiving well is filtered through the associated membrane module, and a filtrate which emerges from that membrane module will be received within the associated filtrate-receiving vessel; a cover for sealing said cavity of said housing, the cover having at least one sample port bounded by a rim_extending from the surface of the lid away from the cavity, wherein the rim is structured to retain the at least one membrane module such that the portions of the at least one membrane module that are formed of elastomeric material interact with the rim to provide substantially air tight sealing between the membrane module and the rim; and a differential pressure source to cause a pressure differential between each of said sample-receiving wells and each of said filtrate-receiving vessels, said pressure differential being operative to drive each sample through the associated membrane module and the resultant filtrate into the associated filtrate-receiving vessel.