Method and apparatus for monitoring the properties of a biological or chemical sample

1. A method of monitoring the properties of a biological or chemical sample, the method comprising:

a) carrying out a plurality of different tests on the sample to generate corresponding test data;

b) optionally carrying out a preliminary processing of the test data to generate partially processed data;

c) storing the test data and/or partially processed data in a test system;

d) verifying that a user is authorized to request a specific first user-defined selection of the stored test data or partially processed data for analysis and, if said user is authorized, causing a processing system to analyze the first user-defined selection of the test data or partially processed data to generate a first set of result data relating to one or more properties of the sample, and reporting said first set of result data to said user;

e) recording in the test system which data or partially processed data was analyzed to generate said first set of result data, generating a first fee invoice specific to said first set of result data, and marking the first set of result data in the test system as having been reported to said user;

f) subsequent to step (d), verifying that said user is authorized to request a specific second user-defined selection of the stored test data or partially processed data and, if said user is authorized, causing the processing system to analyze the second user-defined selection of the test data or partially processed data to generate a second set of result data relating to one or more properties of the sample different from the properties corresponding to the first user-defined selection, and reporting said second set of result data to said user; and

g) recording in the test system which data or partially processed data was analyzed to generate said second set of result data, generating a second fee invoice specific to said second set of result data, and marking the second set of result data in the test system as having been reported to said user.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the verification process includes the verification of security data supplied by the user.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the security data comprises password or biometric data.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the result data is displayed and/or stored.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the display is carried out on a monitor and/or printer.

6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising generating a report logging the performance of the method.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the report identifies each performance of steps (d) and (f) against the user who defined the corresponding selection.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the test data includes images of radiation emitted from an array of discrete reaction sites after testing for respective analyses.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the partially processed data comprises relative light unit values from an array of discrete reaction sites after testing for respective analyses.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the tests are selected from chemiluminescence, fluorescence, spectral absorbance, magnetic particle detection, and mass sensing.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the analyses carried out in steps (d) and (f) determine the concentrations of chemical or biochemical substances in the sample.

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the analyses carried out in steps (d) and (f) determine one or more physical or chemical properties of the sample.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the test data or partially processed data is stored in a digital store of a processing system.

14. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the verifying steps in steps (d) and (f) are specific to one or more predetermined analytes.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the tests in step (a) are carried out at the same time.