Patent ID: 8563326

Claim:
A sample holder for use in an analytical reader, the sample holder comprising: a substrate with at least one hole for receiving a sample to be analyzed, wherein the at least one hole extends completely through the substrate and is sized such that the sample is held within the at least one hole by means of surface tension of the sample, acting between an inner surface of the substrate defining the hole and the sample, wherein the substrate comprises a first upper substrate and a second lower substrate that together embed a porous membrane, the holes of the first substrate and the holes of the second substrate, which correspond in arrangement to the holes of the second substrate, together define the at least one hole extending completely through the substrate, with the porous membrane in between, wherein in that the sample holder further comprises a first membrane attached to a top side of the first upper substrate and a second membrane attached to a bottom side of the second lower substrate to cover the hole on the top and/or bottom side of the sample holder, wherein the sample holder is adapted such that the hole can be filled by immersing the sample holder in a liquid.