Patent ID: 7241417

Claim:
A device for carrying out a lateral flow assay on a sample comprising: (a) a sample containing unit comprising a sample container, said sample container being closed off at one end by a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a hole therein sealed by a plug; and (b) a housing located under said sample container and capable of holding a test strip, said sample containing unit and said housing being coupled so as to allow rotation one relative to the other, said housing comprising a slicing arrangement capable of slicing said plug, wherein said housing comprises an upper part which comprises a bore to receive the sample container, said bore having a bottom wall with an aperture therein, through which the sample reaches the test strip when the hole in the bottom wall of said sample containing unit is in alignment with the aperture in the bottom wall of the bore of the upper part of said housing; wherein rotation of said sample containing unit and said housing one relative to the other results in (1) said slicing arrangement slicing said plug, thereby unplugging the hole in said bottom wall, and (2) the hole becoming aligned with the aperture in the bottom of the bore.