Importance

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Abstract

A machine for transferring liquids to and from the wells of assay trays in a controlled, automated manner and a solid phase assay tray for use with the machine. The machine includes a horizontally translatable table (15) that holds the tray (46), a plurality of liquid dispensing manifolds (54) for dispensing liquids into the tray wells (50) and an aspirating manifold (65) for aspirating liquid from the well. The dispensing and aspirating manifolds are mounted on a vertically translatable head (16) above the table. Each dispensing manifold is equipped with a row of dispensing tubes (56) and is connected via a pump (58) to a liquid container (62). The aspirating manifold is equipped with a row of aspirating tube (66) and is connected via a pump (69) to a waste liquid receptacle (73). A microprocessor (85) controls the movements of the table and manifolds and operates the pumps. The tray wells include means, such as sloping bottoms (74) or subwells (83), that cause the solid phase (76) to occupy a particular position in the wells and sumps (75), (84) that are positioned relative to the location of the solid phase such that they may be accessed vertically by the aspirating tubes without danger of disturbing the solid phase. The bottoms of the sumps have optically flat areas so that beams of light may be passed vertically through the liquid contents of the wells without intersecting the solid phase to make optical measurements of the liquid contents.

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First Claim