Diagnostics systems and methods

A point-of-care diagnostics system, comprising:

• a cartridge having:
• a blood sample chamber structured to receive and store a patient blood sample,
• a dilutant chamber structured to store a pre-loaded dilutant, and
• a barrier separating the blood sample and dilutant chambers, the barrier is structured to, upon actuation, automatically release the dilutant to be mixed with the patient blood sample to form a diluted sample within the cartridge;
• a reader having:
• a cartridge receptacle shaped to receive the cartridge;
• a magnetic field source structured to apply either a high magnetic field or a low magnetic field to at least the blood sample chamber of the cartridge when the cartridge is received within the cartridge receptacle;
• a light source positioned to selectively transmit light through the diluted sample when the cartridge is received in the cartridge receptacle;
• a light detector positioned to sense one or more characteristics of the light transmitted through the diluted sample and to generate light detection data based, at least in part, on the sensed one or more characteristics of the light transmitted through the blood sample;
• a processor electrically coupled to the light detector and programmed to:
• cause the light detector to sense the one or more characteristics of the light transmitted through the diluted sample and to generate the light detection data at a first time when the high magnetic field is applied or the low magnetic field is applied to the blood sample chamber of the cartridge;
• after the light detection data is generated at the first time, cause the magnetic field source to apply the high magnetic field or the low magnetic field, whichever was not applied at the first time, to the blood sample chamber;
• cause the light detector to sense the one or more characteristics of the light transmitted through the diluted sample and to generate the light detection data at a second time when the high magnetic field or the low magnetic field is applied, whichever was not applied at the first time;
• determine a difference in a value of the light detection data between the first time and the second time;
• receive the difference in the value of the light detection data;
• analyze the received difference in the value of the light detection data to identify whether at least one compound that is sensitive to the applied magnetic field is present in the diluted sample;
• generate interpretative data that indicates presence of the compound in the diluted sample based, at least in part, on the difference in the value of the analyzed light detection data;
• and
• output the interpretative data.