Multiple sample support assembly and apparatus for facilitating

Abstract

An improved multiple sample handling system, including a fully machine-compatible multiple sample support assembly, sample vortexing apparatus, and sample radioactivity sensing apparatus, is disclosed which enables performance of a complete radioimmunoassay or competitive binding procedure on the samples in the support assembly, generally without the need to remove and handle individual samples, and which greatly increases processing speed and error avoidance. The support assembly includes an apertured tray and sample retainers cooperating therewith and supporting the sample tubes by radially inwardly acting gripping portions. The retainers fit loosely within the tray apertures, but displacement control means are defined on the retainers and tray permitting the retainers together with tubes to smoothly move angularly relative to the tray within a small predetermined solid angle. The assembly with tubes is self-supporting upon the tubes for storage and optionally during sample operation. For mixing sample and reagents, the tubes are simultaneously vortexed in apparatus in which the tray is supported while a surface applying orbital forces contacts the lower tube portions. Mass centrifuging and decanting is readily performed by handling the tray assembly only. The radioactivity of one phase of each sample is sensed by a counting device in which the sample support assembly cooperates with a multiple counting chamber sensing head which accesses the samples from below to enable a plurality of samples to be counted simultaneously, without removing the samples from their support assembly.