Patent ID: 8226536

Claim:
A testing apparatus, comprising: a) a plurality of centrifuges configured for the centrifugation of plurality of sample receptacles; b) one or more drive mechanisms, said drive mechanisms connected to said sample centrifuges; c) at least one transfer mechanism configured for the loading or unloading of said sample centrifuges, and d) a control mechanism interfaced with said drive mechanisms and said at least one transfer mechanism, said control mechanism configured for the staggered operation of said centrifuges, wherein said staggered operation comprises the steps of: i. creating a plurality of smaller secondary batches from a primary batch of test samples, wherein said primary batch typically requires centrifugation for a time period equal to t in a primary centrifuge and the number of secondary batches is equal to y, which is at least 2; ii. loading the test samples of said secondary batches into x number of separate secondary centrifuges, in which x is at least 2; iii. staggering the operation of said x number of secondary centrifuges by a time period t/xy in relation to one another over a total centrifugation cycle for each secondary centrifuge that is equal to time period t; iv. pausing the operation of each of said staggered secondary centrifuges; v. at least one of loading new test samples and unloading completed test samples from each of said paused secondary centrifuges during said pausing step; and vi. resuming said centrifugation of said paused secondary centrifuges, wherein the frequency of said unloading and reloading of each of said secondary centrifuges with said secondary batches is increased xy fold as compared to the frequency of unloading and reloading of a primary centrifuge loaded with a primary batch of test samples.