Patent ID: 8409875

Claim:
Apparatus for measuring binding kinetics of an interaction of an analyte material present in a fluid sample comprising: a resonator interface adapted to be operatively coupled with one or more resonating devices, at least one of which is a sensing resonator having binding sites for the analyte material, wherein the one or more resonating devices are adapted to be driven into an oscillating motion by actuation circuitry; measurement circuitry arranged to be coupled to the one or more resonating devices via the resonator interface, and wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to measure one or more resonator output signals representing a resonance characteristic of the oscillating motion of the one or more resonating devices; and a controller operatively coupled with the actuation and measurement circuitry, the controller being interfaced with data storage containing instructions executable by the controller that, when executed, cause the controller to: detect introduction of the fluid sample into contact with the one or more resonating devices based on detection, via the measurement circuitry, of a characteristic change in the one or more resonator output signals caused by the introduction of the fluid sample; and in response to the detection of the introduction of the fluid sample, initiate measurement, via the measurement circuitry, of the binding kinetics of the analyte material to the at least one sensing resonator; wherein the characteristic change in the one or more resonator output signals caused by the introduction of the fluid sample causes a change to a new resonance point in the oscillating motion of the one or more resonating devices, and wherein the one or more resonating devices are driven at the new resonance point in response to the characteristic change in the one or more resonator output signals.