Provided are a liquid surface inspection device, an automated analysis device, and a liquid surface inspection method with which instances of contamination can be minimized and the accuracy of the manner in which the surface conditions, such as bubbles or the like, of a liquid substance are detected can be enhanced. The device has: a light illumination unit for illuminating a container holding a liquid substance, as well as the surface of the liquid substance, with light; an image capture unit for acquiring a video image having at least color information and brightness information of light from the container and the liquid substance which are illuminated by the light illumination unit; and a detection unit for using the color information and brightness information in the video image captured by the image capture unit to detect the condition of the liquid surface.

Disclosed herein is a novel method to fabricate magnetic silica nanomembranes using thin polymer cores based on silica deposition and self-wrinkling induced by thermal shrinkage. These micro- and nano-scale structures have vastly enlarged the specific area of silica, thus the magnetic silica nanomembranes can be used for solid phase extraction of nucleic acids. The magnetic silica nanomembranes are suitable for nucleic acid purification and isolation and demonstrated better performance than commercial particles in terms of nucleic acid recovery yield and integrity. In addition, the magnetic silica nanomembranes may have high nucleic acid capacity due to significantly enlarged specific surface area of silica. Methods of use and devices comprising the magnetic silica nanomembranes are also provided herein.

A sample measurement system may include: a measurement unit that measures a sample in a sample container; a transport unit that transports a rack that can hold sample containers, via the measurement unit; a collection unit that is detachably provided with a tray in which racks can be set, and that collects the rack transported from the measurement unit by the transport unit and sets the rack in the tray; a storage that stores sample identification information, rack identification information, and tray identification information in association with each other; an input part; a display part; and a controller that, in a condition in which the input part receives input of the sample identification information or the rack identification information, causes the display part to display the tray identification information stored in association with the inputted sample identification information or the inputted rack identification information.

A treatment device (1) for treating histological or cytological samples has a plurality of containers (6) for different treatment agents and a detection apparatus (2) for detecting a code which unequivocally identifies a type of a treatment agent or a type of a group of treatment agents from a package or replacement container of a treatment agent or group of treatment agents. The device furthermore has an evaluation apparatus (18) that, based on a detected code, ascertains which of the containers is or are to be replenished or replaced, and an indicating apparatus (4) which communicates to a user the ascertained container (6) or containers (6) that is or are to be replenished or replaced. The indicating apparatus may include a display (5) presenting a schematic image of the plurality of containers (6) with image(s) of each ascertained container being marked, and/or a light source (15) that illuminates each ascertained container.

Disclosed is a measurement apparatus including: a support mechanism configured to support a cartridge in which a chamber is formed, the chamber being configured to store a measurement sample that generates light an intensity of which varies depending on an amount of a test substance; a photodetector configured to detect the light generated from the measurement sample stored in the chamber; and a reflection member provided between the photodetector and the cartridge supported by the support mechanism, the reflection member having an inner face, the reflection member being configured to reflect, at the inner face, the light generated from the measurement sample stored in the chamber, and guide the light to the photodetector, wherein the reflection member is configured to have an area surrounded by the inner face, the area decreasing from a side where the cartridge supported by the support mechanism is provided toward a side where the photodetector is provided.

Disclosed is a detection apparatus that transfers magnetic particles through a plurality of chambers in a cartridge which includes the plurality of chambers and a channel connecting between the plurality of chambers, and that causes the magnetic particles to carry a complex of a test substance and a labelling substance, to detect the test substance on the basis of the labelling substance in the complex. The detection apparatus includes: a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the cartridge about a rotation shaft; a magnet configured to collect the magnetic particles in the chambers; a movement mechanism configured to move the magnet in a direction different from a circumferential direction of a circle in which the rotation shaft is centered; a detector configured to detect the test substance; and a controller programmed to control the rotation mechanism and the movement mechanism so as to transfer the magnetic particles from one of the chambers to another one of the chambers.

A method for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample is presented. The method uses a rotatable vessel for processing particles contained in a liquid biological sample. The rotatable vessel has a longitudinal axis about which the vessel is rotatable, an upper portion comprising a top opening for receiving the liquid comprising the particles, a lower portion for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is resting, the lower portion comprising a bottom, and an intermediate portion located between the upper portion and the lower portion, the intermediate portion comprising a lateral collection chamber for holding the liquid while the rotatable vessel is rotating. The method employs dedicated acceleration and deceleration profiles for sedimentation and re-suspension of the particles of interest.

A system and methods for consumer use of a microarray product are provided. A method includes obtaining a microarray product and contacting the microarray product with a sample and performing bioassays. The method further includes obtaining a decoding information data package from a manufacturer of the microarray product for correlating bioassay signals from the bioassays with respective analytes, wherein the microarray product is obtained at a first time different and discrete from a second time that the decoding information data package is obtained.

This invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for verifying dispensing of a fluid from a pipette.

The invention relates to a device and a method for the transfer of a liquid container with the aid of a clamping gripper in an automated analyzer. For this purpose, the clamping gripper has a controllable expansion device.