Patent ID: 6372183
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: G01N,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
An automated measurement apparatus for automatically measuring transient reactions in living cells contained in a plurality of individual samples, by measuring an attribute of the samples of living cells to be measured, the apparatus comprising:computer control means, comprising integrated software and hardware for coordinating the operation of the apparatus; sample-containing means comprising a plurality of wells for the individual samples; means responsive to the computer control means for aligning a predetermined well with a reagent-adding position or for simultaneously aligning more than one predetermined well with the reagent-adding position; means responsive to the control means for adding reagent to one or a plurality of the predetermined wells while aligned with the reagent-adding position; and means responsive to the computer control means for measuring the attribute in each well or in a plurality of wells while aligned with the reagent-adding position, wherein the measuring means are for commencement of measurement during reagent addition or for commencement of measurement within a predetermined time period after reagent addition that is less than the time required for the transient reactions to reach their peak response, wherein the measurement means also are for effecting continuous succession of multiple measurements of the attribute for a predetermined amount of time that spans the transient reactions.