Plurality of reaction chambers in a test cartridge
A fluidic testing method is presented that includes flowing an initial amount of liquid down a first inlet channel of a single-port fluidic testing system, and splitting the initial amount of liquid from the first inlet channel into a plurality of second inlet channels. Each second inlet channel is coupled to a given test chamber of a plurality of test chambers, wherein each of the plurality of test chambers has a wall that defines a longest side of a given test chamber, and wherein each of the plurality of test chambers has only one opening through the wall of a corresponding test chamber. The method also includes filling each of the plurality of test chambers with a final amount of liquid, the final amount being substantially equal in each of the test chambers and summing from each test chamber to equal the initial amount of liquid.
1. A method comprising:
flowing an initial amount of liquid down a first inlet channel of a single-port fluidic testing system;
splitting the initial amount of liquid from the first inlet channel into a plurality of second inlet channels, each second inlet channel coupled to its own corresponding test chamber of a plurality of test chambers via an opening through a wall of the corresponding test chamber, wherein the wall defines a longest side of the corresponding test chamber, and wherein the opening is the only opening into the corresponding test chamber;
filling each of the plurality of test chambers with liquid; and
drawing the liquid away from each of the plurality of test chambers through the opening of each corresponding test chamber, wherein the drawing leaves behind a predetermined amount of the liquid below a height at which the opening is disposed along the wall of each corresponding test chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wall of each test chamber is configured to be aligned substantially parallel to a gravity vector.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of test chambers contains one or more reagents, and the method further comprises re-suspending the one or more reagents in the predetermined amount of liquid.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising re-suspending one or more reagents contained in one or more premixing chambers upstream from the plurality of test chambers.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating at least one of the plurality of test chambers.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating comprises heating with a Peltier device.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating comprises heating with resistive heating elements.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating comprises heating with forced air.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting one or more optical properties of contents in the liquid within at least one of the plurality of test chambers.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flowing, splitting, and filling are performed via a single pump source.