Patent ID: 7338760

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a substrate having a least one assay station; an arrangement of at least one first multipurpose channel and at least one second multipurpose channel wherein said at least one assay station being situated in a position intermediate between said first and second multipurpose channels and in fluid communication therewith, wherein said first multipurpose channel has at least one surface characteristic conducive to conduction of a sample fluid therethrough and into said at least one assay station; at least one sample fluid inlet in communication with said at least first multipurpose channel; at least one isolation-medium inlet in communication with said at least first and second multipurpose channels to enable isolation medium to flow along said at least first and second multipurpose channels to isolate said at least one assay station after conduction of the sample fluid into said at least one assay station, said at least one second multipurpose channel having at least one surface characteristic non-conducive to conduction of said sample fluid; and at least one isolation medium outlet in communication with each of said first and second multipurpose channels, thereby allowing the isolation medium to flow in to said first and second multipurpose channels by purging the sample fluid in said first multipurpose channel and air in said second multipurpose channel through respective said outlets.