Patent ID: 8398940

Claim:
A test module for excitation of electrochemiluminescent probes configured to detect target nucleic acid sequences, the test module comprising: an outer casing having a receptacle for receiving a fluid containing the target nucleic acid sequences; electrochemiluminescent (ECL) probes having an ECL luminophore for emitting photons when in an excited state and a functional moiety for quenching photon emission from the ECL luminophore by resonant energy transfer; electrodes for receiving an electrical pulse to excite the ECL luminophores; a detection photosensor for exposure to the photons emitted by the ECL luminophores; control circuitry providing the electrical pulse to the electrodes; an array of hybridization chambers containing the ECL probes for different target nucleic acid sequences and a pair of the electrodes; a plurality of calibration sources each configured to provide a calibration emission, the calibration sources being distributed throughout the array of hybridization chambers such that each of the calibration sources are surrounded by a three-by-three square of the hybridization chambers; and, a universal serial bus (USB) connection such that the outer casing is configured as a USB drive for transmitting data regarding detection of the targets in the fluid to an external device; wherein during use, the ECL probes that have detected one of the target nucleic acid sequences reconfigure such that the functional moiety does not quench the photon emission from the ECL luminophore when excited by the electrodes.