Device and analyzing system for conducting agglutination assays

An analysis station for performing agglutination reaction and separation assays comprising:

• a device containing several reaction vessels, each reaction vessel comprising an upper chamber having an opening for accepting reactants and/or a sample;
• a lower chamber comprising an end in communication with the upper chamber for receiving fluids from the upper chamber, a closed end opposite to the end, and a matrix for separating agglutinates from non-agglutinates;
• a rotating support able to rotate around an axis and holding pivotally the reaction vessels in a way to allow the reaction vessels to pivot about an axis essentially perpendicular to said rotation axis when the latter is rotated, such as to retain the fluids in the upper chamber when the support is not rotated and makes it flow from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and into the matrix when the support is rotated;
• a drive shaft which fixedly holds the device at the rotating support;
• a heating unit concentric with the support of the device;
• and
• means to optically detect cluster agglutinate and/or band or button formation within the lower chamber.

A method for conducting an agglutination assay comprising:

• providing an analysis station comprising a device containing several reaction vessels, each reaction vessel comprising an upper chamber having an opening for accepting reactants and/or a sample;
• a lower chamber comprising an end in communication with the upper chamber for receiving fluids from the upper chamber, a closed end opposite to the end, and a matrix for separating agglutinates from non-agglutinates;
• a rotating support able to rotate around an axis and holding pivotally the reaction vessels in a way to allow the reaction vessels to pivot about an axis essentially perpendicular to said rotation axis when the latter is rotated, such as to retain the fluids in the upper chamber when the support is not rotated and makes it flow from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and into the matrix when the support is rotated;
• a drive shaft which fixedly holds the device at the rotating support;
• a heating unit concentric with the support of the device;
• and means to optically detect cluster agglutinate and/or band or button formation within the lower chamber;
• incubating the reagents and sample in the upper chambers of the vessels while the support is not rotating;
• centrifuging the reagents and sample by rotating the support in order to force to the fluids from the upper chamber to the lower chamber to the separation matrix;
• and
• performing readings and interpretation of positive or negative agglutination reactions.