Patent ID: 6949377

Claim:
A method for performing biological assay in a self-contained microfluidic-based luminescence biochip, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing said biochip with a plurality of compartments and interconnecting microchannels, said compartments having storage means for storing a plurality of samples, reagents, luminescent substrates, and reaction sites immobilized with probes; and means for interconnecting said compartments to provide fluid transfer through said microchannels; (b) transferring sequentially at least one of said samples and then at least one of said reagents through said microchannels to at least one of said reaction sites, said at least one sample and said at least one reagent reacting with said probes and forming a probe complex; (c) transferring said luminescent substrate through said microchannels to said reaction sites, said luminescent substrates reacting with said probe complex and generating luminescence; and (d) detecting said luminescence with an optical detector located above or under said reaction sites.