Patent ID: 8163538

Claim:
A method for analyzing a fluid sample, the method comprising: filling with the fluid sample a substrate comprising a sample-distribution network having (i) a sample inlet, (ii) two or more detection chambers, and (iii) a channel providing fluid connections between each of said two or more detection chambers and said inlet, wherein at least two of said two or more detection chambers each contains detection reagents comprising a different selected-sequence polynucleotide pre-loaded therein, and each selected-sequence polynucleotide is effective to selectively bind to a respective target polynucleotide, the filling comprising filling the fluid sample into the two or more detection chambers until all of the two or more detection chambers are filled with the fluid sample and the filling is stopped; after all of the two or more detection chambers are filled with the fluid sample and the filling is stopped, then isolating the two or more detection chambers from one another such that the fluid sample is prevented from flowing from one of the detection chambers to another of the detection chambers; reacting the fluid sample with the detection reagents in the two or more detection chambers; producing detection signals in the two or more detection chambers; and detecting the detection signals produced in the two or more detection chambers.