An electrically-powered automated or semi-automated laboratory instrument intended to be used for the in vitro determination of multiple target analytes in a single clinical specimen using oligonucleotide capture molecules arranged in a consistent pattern on a slide, chip or membrane. Identification of a target sequence in the clinical specimen is by hybridization of complementary base pairs, with a detection system typically using fluorophores, fluorescent-labelled dyes and/or digital imaging techniques.