Apparatus and method for analyzing biologic fluids

An apparatus for testing a sample of biologic fluid quiescently residing within a chamber, said apparatus comprising:

• a field illuminator for selectively illuminating a field of the sample, said field having a known or ascertainable area;
• an image dissector for converting an image of light passing through or emanating from the field of the sample into an electronic data format useful for test purposes;
• a positioner operable to selectively change the relative position of any or all of the chamber, the field illuminator, or the image dissector, thereby enabling selective illumination of a plurality of the sample fields within the chamber;
• and
• means for determining one of a through-plane thickness or a volume of each sample field.

An apparatus for testing a sample of biologic fluid, said apparatus comprising:

• a container that includes a chamber for quiescently holding the sample during the test, and one or more features operable to enable the testing of the sample, wherein at least one of the one or more features is positioned at a known spatial location within the chamber;
• a field illuminator for illuminating a portion or all of the chamber;
• an image dissector for converting an image of light passing through or emanating from the sample into an electronic data format useful for test purposes;
• and
• means for determining one of a through-plane thickness or a volume of each sample field.

A method for testing a sample of biologic fluid, comprising the steps of:

• providing a container for holding the sample, the container having one or more features operable to enable the testing of the biologic fluid sample, at least one of which features is located at a known spatial location within the chamber;
• depositing the sample within the chamber, wherein the sample quiescently resides in the chamber thereafter during the test;
• providing a field illuminator for selectively illuminating a portion, or all, of the sample within chamber;
• selectively imaging a portion or all of the illuminated sample, and thereby creating an image of the illuminated sample;
• identifying a portion of the image aligned with the at least one feature located at a known spatial location within the chamber.

A method for testing a sample of biologic fluid, comprising the steps of:

• providing a container for holding the sample, said container having a chamber with a first wall and a transparent second wall;
• providing one or more features operable to enable the testing of the sample, wherein at least one of the features is located at a known spatial location within the chamber;
• depositing the sample within the chamber, wherein the sample thereafter quiescently resides in the chamber during the test;
• providing a reader module that includes a field illuminator for selectively illuminating a portion or all of the sample disposed in the chamber, and an image dissector;
• selectively change the relative position of any or all of the chamber, the field illuminator, or the image dissector to enable selective imaging of one or more sample fields within the chamber aligned with the one or more features at known spatial locations;
• selectively imaging the one or more sample fields that contain the one or more features.