Patent ID: 8048376

Claim:
A method of performing an agglutination reaction in a probe tip, said method comprising the steps of: a) providing a probe tip comprising: i. a first port configured to permit negative or positive pressure to an internal volume of a probe tip; ii. a sample cavity of said internal volume in fluid communication with said port; iii. at least one flanking cavity of said internal volume configured to capture particles in the sample after separation of the particles from the remainder of the sample, wherein said flanking cavity is in fluid communication with said sample cavity; iv. a detection cavity of said internal volume configured for the detection of agglutination within the sample, wherein said detection cavity is in fluid connection with said sample cavity; v. a transition zone of said internal volume between said sample cavity and said detection cavity, configured for rotational mixing of the sample moving back and forth through said transition zone; and vi. a second port in fluid connection with said detection cavity, said second port configured to permit reagents to be aspirated into or dispensed from said internal volume of said probe tip; b) aspirating a sample into said sample cavity of said probe tip; c) separating the particles from the remainder of the sample and capturing the particles in said at least one flanking cavity of said probe tip; d) dispensing the sample supernatant from said probe tip; e) aspirating reagents for agglutination into said probe tip; f) resuspending the sample pellet from said at least one flanking cavity; and g) moving the resuspended sample pellet to said detection cavity, wherein agglutination in the resuspended sample pellet is detected in said detection cavity.