Method and apparatus for analysing a biological sample

A system for preparing and analysing a sample of biological material, the system comprising:

• a test cartridge having
• a first housing defining a flow-through chamber,
• a second housing defining a central space within which the first housing is at least partially located, the first housing being rotatable relative to the second housing about an axis but without permitting any relative movement along said axis between the housings, and the second housing defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers, one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers having an inlet for receiving a sample, at least one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers containing a liquid reagent, and at least one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers comprising an analysis module, the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers of the second housing each having an opening into said central space at the same axial position,
• wherein the first housing has one or more openings into said central space at said axial position so that the or each opening can be selectively aligned with one of the openings into the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers of the second housing by relative rotation of the first housing and second housings,
• a base unit having
• a dock housing defining or having connected thereto features for docking the test cartridge with the base unit so that the second housing cannot rotate with respect to the base unit whilst the first housing can rotate relative to the base unit,
• a first driver for engaging with said first housing to cause rotation of the first housing within the second housing,
• a second driver for positively and negatively pressurising the flow-through chamber of the first housing,
• a controller for operating the first and second drivers to cause displacement of liquids between the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers in a desired sequence, resulting in the delivery of a prepared sample to one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced chambers containing an analysis module, thereby facilitating provision of an analysis result by the analysis module,
• an optical component moveable to a position above the dock housing,
• wherein said one of said chambers that contains the analysis module has a transparent window in its upper surface, and said analysis module comprises an array of wells across a planar surface that is substantially orthogonal to said axis and is configured to provide a visually detectable analysis result in said wells that is visible from above the system through said transparent window and through said optical component when a cartridge is docked in said dock housing.