Method for measuring antigens or antibodies in biological fluids

A method of measuring analyte antigens or antibodies in a biological fluid in appropriately designed reaction cells in an automated analytical apparatus,

• wherein said automated analytical apparatus comprises a closed circuit transfer path having means for transferring cells in a regular, step-by-step manner therealong, the step-by-step transfer of a cell around the entire transfer path defining a single revolution of the transfer means and being of predetermined duration, wherein a thermostating period for each analysis performed with the automated analytical apparatus is at least an integer multiple of said predetermined duration;
• and a means for detecting a label reagent bound to said analyte antigens or antibodies;
• said transfer path comprising a loading station, at least one reagent delivery station, at least one mixing and washing station, a separating station and a discharging station, each said station being provided for selectively operating on each said cell;
• which method comprises the steps of:
• placing a specific code on each said cell for identifying a kind of analysis to be effected with respect to that cell;
• loading each said cell, in turn, to said transfer means at said loading station;
• depositing into each said cell said biological fluid;
• reading, with a code reading means, the code on each said cell;
• transferring said cells in a regular, step-by-step manner along said closed circuit transfer path to at least one reagent delivery station, at least one mixing and washing station, a separating station and a discharging station;
• adding to said biological fluid in each cell magnetic particulate carriers having antibodies or antigens immobilized thereon that are specific for said analyte antigens or antibodies;
• controlling operations of said stations on each said cell based upon the analysis indentified by the respective code of each said cell, read by the code reading means;
• controlling a temperature within each said cell around the entire transfer path;
• retaining each said cell on said transfer means for a respective predetermined thermostating period by retaining said respective cell on said transfer means at least for a predetermined number of revolutions;
• adding a label reagent to each cell, wherein said label reagent specifically binds to any analyte antigens or antibodies bound to the magnetic particulate carriers;
• removing excess label reagent from each cell;
• detecting the presence or absence of label reagent bound to said magnetic particulate carriers via said means of detection to indicate the presence or absence of said analyte antigens or antibodies.