Bio-fluid assay apparatus

A bio-fluid assay apparatus wherein measured samples of bio-fluid in the wells of a microtitre plate are analyzed comprising:

• a micro-processor controller which may be input with data including details of patients and different assays required;
• a plurality of discrete plate carriers;
• a magazine for said plurality of carriers;
• a plurality of operation stations including:
• a reagent dispersing station for adding chemical reagents to the plates by a reagent dispensing arrangement;
• a plate washing station;
• a plate reading station;
• plate carrier transport means constructed and arranged to move any plate carrier in either direction along each of x, y and z axes and which is controlled by the micro-processor controller for collecting plate carriers from said magazine and advancing the carriers as required through the plurality of operation stations;
• each plate carrier having a uniquely identifying machine readable label which by reference to the data held by the micro-processor controller will indicate the particular type of assay to be effected on the samples carried by each plate;
• the transport means including means for reading each label whereby the micro-processor controller can verify that each carrier taken from the magazine is loaded and is selected correctly and can confirm the validity of other movements of each carrier during each assay cycle;
• and
• the micro-processor controller being programmed to determine the order in which different assays are performed.