| abstract |
A system for analyzing a chemical reaction provides control of the temperature and volume of the reagents to improve the accuracy and precision in quantitive measurements of specific proteins and other immunochemistries in body fluids. The reaction occurs in a cuvette (48, 50) within a nephelometric optics module (44, 46). A sensor (246, 248) senses the temperatures of reaction buffer liquids as they flow into the cuvette (48, 50), and a heat exchanging device (250, 252) increases or decreases the temperatures of the buffer liquids. A control circuit (242) responsive to the temperature sensor (246, 248) controls the heat exchanging device (218) to maintain the temperature of the buffer liquids and the cuvette (48, 50) within a selected temperature range. The system may also include a sample pickup station (18), sample probe (22) means for withdrawing a selected sample from the sample pickup station (18), a sample preparation station, and sample transport (20) means for carrying said sample from the sample preparation station to the reaction cuvette (48, 50). The system may include an antibody pickup station (108), antibody probe (110) means for withdrawing an antibody from the antibody pickup station (108), an antibody preparation station, and antibody transport (106) means for carrying the antibody from the antibody preparation station to the reaction cuvette (48, 50). |