A gas sensor for detecting a physical and/or chemical value of an analysis gas, a corresponding manufacturing method, and operating method. The gas sensor is based on the principle of a thermal conductivity measurement with the aid of a sensor structure including a double meander structure made up of two resistor lines, as part of a Wheatstone bridge circuit, on a diaphragm of a substrate. The two resistor lines are energized in opposite directions as a function of the detected temperature. The physical and/or chemical value(s) of the analysis gas are/is subsequently determined as a function of the voltages detected at the double meander structure.

It is an object to provide a cover slip sticking device capable of improving matching between types of clearing agents and cover slips. As a means for solving the problem, a cover slip sticking device includes a dipping bath (21) in which slide glasses (22) on which specimens are attached are housed to be dipped in a clearing agent, a holder (11) having a cover slip (10) and cover slip information (14), a mounting part (C) on which the holder is mounted, a sticking part (B) sticking the cover slip (10) taken out from the holder (11) on the slide glass (22), a reading unit (62) reading the cover slip information (14), a storage unit (65) storing a type of the clearing agent and matching information between types of clearing agents and types of cover slips and a determination unit (66) comparing the cover slip information (14) read by the reading unit (62) and the type of the clearing agent stored in the storage unit (65) with the matching information to determine whether the types match with each other or not.

Method for detecting the presence or absence of a biological or chemical substance in a particular sample mixed with a suspension with functionalized magnetic particles, comprising: providing a light source and detector, providing a constant magnetic force perpendicular to the light's propagation direction by applying a constant magnetic field gradient, and with an absolute value which is higher than 0.1 T and measuring the change of the magnetic particle's suspension transparency versus time and comparing it with the time-variation in absence of the targeted biological or chemical substance. The method of the invention allows monitoring the transparency irrespective of the emitted wavelength and particle's optical properties.

A storage system having racks and an outer container that receives the racks, each rack receiving a plurality of sample boxes, each box having a wireless ID tag. In certain embodiments, the storage system has reader electronics external to and distinct from the racks and that directly read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack without relying on any reader electronics of any rack. In other embodiments, each rack has a set of rack reader electronics that read the wireless ID tag of each box in at least one rack, and the storage system has at least one removable reader access device removably connectable to the set of rack reader electronics of a rack in order to transmit the ID number of the wireless ID tag of each box in the rack outside of the outer container.

An airborne biological particle monitoring device collects particles floating in air. The monitoring device includes a processor, a camera sensor, and a set of approximately monochromatic illumination sources that correspond to a set of spectral curves. The camera sensor captures images of the particles providing a spectral analysis of the particles. The processor analyzes the images to identify the collected particles.

A quality control method for a diagnostic analyzer includes performing a quality control test or a plurality of specimen tests; determining, with a controller, that a result of the quality control test or a plurality of specimen test results is outside of a threshold; monitoring one or more mechanical devices of the diagnostic analyzer with the controller; receiving, by the controller, an error code indicating an error in a mechanical device of the one or more mechanical devices; and initiating a calibration procedure in response to the result of the quality control test or the plurality of specimen test results being outside of the threshold and receiving the error code. Other apparatus and methods are disclosed.

Systems and methods include an optimization-based load planning module for laboratory analyzers of bio-fluid samples. The optimization-based load planning module is executable on a computer server and is configured to optimize assay (lab test) assignments across a large number of laboratory analyzers based on one or more of the following user selected and weighted objectives: reduced turn-around-time, load balancing, efficient reagent usage, lower quality assurance costs, and/or improved system robustness. The optimization-based load planning module outputs a load plan comprising computer executable instructions configured to cause a system controller of a laboratory analyzer system to schedule and direct each requested test to be performed at one or more selected laboratory analyzers of the laboratory analyzer system in accordance with the user selected and weighted objectives. Other aspects are also described.

Disclosed herein are systems, methods and devices for the continuous production and processing of compounds, including biopharmaceutical compounds. The system and devices are operated in an automated manner and capable of operation under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-compliant conditions.

The technology described herein generally relates to systems for extracting polynucleotides from multiple samples, particularly from biological samples, and additionally to systems that subsequently amplify and detect the extracted polynucleotides. The technology more particularly relates to microfluidic systems that carry out PCR on multiple samples of nucleotides of interest within microfluidic channels, and detect those nucleotides. The technology still more particularly relates to automated devices for carrying out pipetting operations, particularly on samples in parallel, consistent with sample preparation and delivery of PCR-ready nucleotide extracts to a cartridge wherein PCR is run.

An automatic plant tissue sampler and a method for operating the same are provided. The sampler can include a plant handler configured to transport a plurality of plants to an imager. The imager may be configured to image plants to identify a sampling location. The automatic plant tissue sampler also includes a sampler configured to remove a tissue sample from the sampling location of plants, and a collection vessel configured to receive the tissue samples. The automatic plant tissue sampler may transport a plurality of plants to an imager and images the plurality of plants to identify a sampling location. The automatic plant tissue sampler can remove a tissue sample from the sampling location of the plurality of plants and store the tissue samples in a collection vessel for testing.