Patent ID: 7993581

Claim:
An immunoassay system comprising: a disk-shaped sample holder which holds on a circle a plurality of sample containers for accommodating marked samples, resulting from marking of samples with magnetic particles by antigen-antibody reaction; rotating means for rotating said disk-shaped sample holder around its central shaft; magnetizing means for magnetizing said marked samples; a magnetic sensor for detecting magnetic fields generated from said marked samples which have been magnetized; and a magnetic shield surrounding said magnetic sensor, wherein said plurality of sample containers are so configured as to be successively inserted from outside to inside of said magnetic shield by rotation of said disk-shaped sample holder; said magnetizing means magnetize marked samples accommodated in at least one of the sample containers which is positioned outside said magnetic shield; said magnetic sensor detects marked samples accommodated in at least another one of the sample containers, which is different from said at least one of the sample containers and positioned within said magnetic shield, magnetic fields generated from said marked samples which have been magnetized; and the detection of said magnetic fields and said magnetization are executed in parallel.