Immunoassay fluorometer

Abstract

A fluorometer for sensing the fluorescence of a sample utilizes an optical energy source for exciting a sample to be tested and an optical energy detector for detecting the emitted energy from the excited sample. Drive electronics are used for positioning the sample with respect to the optical components allowing a plurality of sample regions to be tested. A processor is utilized to control the operation of the test in accordance with test instructions and for processing the emitted energy detected from the sample to determine test results. A ROM chip socket accepts a plurality of ROM chips, wherein each ROM chip stores test data sets for one or more test types to be performed. ROM chips can be swapped to allow the fluorometer to be configured and reconfigured to perform a plurality of different tests. A communications interface facilitates the sharing of test information between the fluorometer and external entities.

1 . A fluorometric system, comprising: 
 a test device configured to receive a fluid sample and produce a detectable fluorescent signal indicative of the presence or amount of an analyte of interest in said sample at an assay zone of the test device upon illumination with excitation energy; and    a fluorometer comprising 
 a port into which the test device is inserted;  
 an optical energy source configured to produce the excitation energy;  
 drive electronics configured to engage the test device inserted into the port, to position the test device within the fluorometer for illumination of the assay zone with the excitation energy, and to eject the test device from the fluorometer for removal from the port;  
 an optical flattener configured to reduce variations in the excitation energy illuminating the assay zone;  
 an optical energy detector configured to detect the detectable fluorescent signal from the assay zone; and  
 a processor configured to control the operation of the fluorometer in accordance with predetermined test instructions and to determine the presence or amount of the analyte of interest from the signal detected from the assay zone.  
   
     
     
         2 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluorometer further comprises a ROM chip socket and a removable ROM chip comprising encoded predetermined test instructions.  
     
     
         3 . The fluorometric system of  claim 2 , wherein the ROM chip further comprises one or more information types for use by the processor selected from the group consisting of control solution information, calibrator solution information, information relating to the accessibility of a user to change fluorometer parameters, and information relating to expected values measured by a QC simulator.  
     
     
         4 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , further comprising a bi-directional communications interface.  
     
     
         5 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the test device further comprises an encoded label providing encoded sample information, and the fluorometer further comprises an encoded label reader configured to read the encoded sample information.  
     
     
         6 . The fluorometric system of  claim 5 , wherein the encoded label comprises at least one encoding format selected from the group of an optical bar code, a magnetic stripe, an inductive circuit, and alphanumeric characters.  
     
     
         7 . The fluorometric system of  claim 5 , wherein the encoded sample information comprises one or more information types selected from the group consisting of patient identification, sample identification, sample type, and identification of a test to be performed on the sample.  
     
     
         8 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the test device comprises a plurality of assay zones corresponding to a plurality of analytes of interest.  
     
     
         9 . The fluorometric system of  claim 8 , wherein the drive electronics are configured to position the test device within the fluorometer to sequentially illuminate the plurality of assay zones.  
     
     
         10 . The fluorometric system of  claim 8 , wherein information encoded on the test device identifies one or more of the analytes of interest for which the sample is to be tested.  
     
     
         11 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the test device is configured to perform an immunoassay for said analyte of interest.  
     
     
         12 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical energy source is a laser diode.  
     
     
         13 . The fluorometric system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical energy source is a light emitting diode.