Patent ID: 7276368

Claim:
An automated system for performing an assay to detect an analyte in a sample fluid; wherein said automated system comprises: a robotic transporter; a light source module operable to produce an output of excitation light rays having respective wavelengths; an optical sensor carried by said robotic transporter for automatic movement of said optical sensor by said robotic transporter; wherein said optical sensor is optically coupled with said light source module to receive at least some of said excitation light rays produced by said light source module; wherein said optical sensor comprises a sensing waveguide and a sensor chemistry coating on said sensing waveguide; wherein, during said assay, said sensor chemistry coating comprises a fluorophore, at least some of said excitation light rays from said light source module pass through said sensing waveguide and create an evanescent electric field in said sensor chemistry coating, said fluorophore emits an output of signal recovery light rays in response to said evanescent electric field as a function of a presence of said analyte in said sample fluid, and said sensing waveguide transports a collected portion of said signal recovery light rays; an interrogation module optically coupled with said optical sensor and operable to receive from said sensing waveguide at least some of said collected portion of said signal recovery light rays; wherein said interrogation module generates a corresponding output signal from said signal recovery light rays received by said interrogation module from said sensing waveguide; wherein said automated system further comprises at least one assay station that is selected from the group consisting of a sample station, a washing station and a reagent station; wherein, during said assay, said sample station, said washing station and said reagent station are operable to contain a respective fluid, namely, said sample fluid, a washing fluid and a reagent fluid comprising a fluorophore-labeled reagent that is labeled with said fluorophore; and wherein, during said assay, said robotic transporter is operable to automatically move said optical sensor into a position over said respective fluid in said at least one assay station, to then automatically move said optical sensor towards said respective fluid in said at least one assay station until said sensor chemistry coating on said sensing waveguide is immersed in said respective fluid in said at least one assay station, and to then automatically remove said optical sensor from said respective fluid in said at least one assay station, to eliminate a need to transfer said respective fluid into or out of said at least one assay station while said assay is being performed.