A method for measuring the amount of fluid contained in a reaction vessel
in a clinical analyzer includes the steps of adding a first aliquot of
fluid to the reaction vessel and measuring the quantity of fluid
contained therein. A second aliquot of fluid is then added to the
reaction vessel and the quantity of fluid contained therein is also
measured. Measurement of the two fluid quantities can occur with or
without removal of the first aliquot in between measurements. In
obtaining the two quantity measurements and comparing them against a
standard, the effects of well geometry can be minimized. Preferably, a
delta or ratio measurement is obtained between the first and second
liquid volume measurements which can be compared against a standard so as
to normalize apparent volume losses or gains due to reaction well
dimensional variation. This approach enhances the analytical capability
to detect true fluid delivery errors.