A method of characterizing a serum and plasma portion of a specimen in regions occluded by one or more labels. The characterization method may be used to provide input to an HILN (H, I, and/or L, or N) detection method. The characterization method includes capturing one or more images of a labeled specimen container including a serum or plasma portion from multiple viewpoints, processing the one or more images to provide segmentation data including identification of a label-containing region, determining a closest label match of the label-containing region to a reference label configuration selected from a reference label configuration database, and generating a combined representation based on the segmentation information and the closest label match. Using the combined representation allows for compensation of the light blocking effects of the label-containing region. Quality check modules and testing apparatus and adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

A mobile monitoring device for monitoring controlled contamination areas may include a motorized mobile structure, a sampling unit, and a central management and control unit. The motorized mobile structure is configured to move within an area to be monitored. The sampling unit is positioned on said mobile structure, and configured to perform sampling operations of air and/or surfaces of said area and obtain sampling data. The central management and control unit is operatively connected to the mobile structure and to said sampling unit. The mobile structure may be controlled by the central unit to reach predefined points of the area to be monitored. The sampling unit may be selectively activated and/or deactivated by said central unit in correspondence with said predefined starting points of said sampling operations.

A radiosynthesis system is disclosed that leverages droplet microfluidic radiosynthesis and its inherent advantages including reduction of reagent consumption and the ability to achieve high molar activity even when using low starting radioactivity. The radiosynthesis system enables the parallel synthesis of radiolabeled compounds using droplet-sized reaction volumes. In some embodiments, a single heater is used to create multiple reaction or synthesis sites. In other embodiments, separate heaters are used to create independently-controlled heating conditions at the multiple reaction or synthesis sites. In one embodiment, a four-heater setup was developed that utilizes a multi-reaction microfluidic chip and was assessed for the suitability with high-throughput radiosynthesis optimization. Replicates of several radiochemical operations including the full synthesis of various PET tracers revealed the platform to have high repeatability (e.g., consistent fluorination efficiency). The system may also be used for synthesis optimization.

The present invention aims at providing a workpiece transfer method and a workpiece transfer system that enable stable transfer of workpieces with a simple structure. The workpiece transfer system includes two workpiece holding members that hold workpieces such as to be inserted and pulled out in a vertical direction, a picking device having a claw member operable to open and close, and a temporary workpiece holding member. The workpiece transfer method includes: grasping and transferring a workpiece that is held by one workpiece holding member to a temporary workpiece holding member, and transferring the workpiece from the temporary workpiece holding member to another workpiece holding member after the workpiece has been grasped again at a point where the workpiece is held in a stable posture.

Disclosed is a fully-automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, which comprises a base, a reaction cup conveyance module, a robot-arm sample injection module, an incubation module, a manipulator and transit module, a magnetic-separation cleaning module, and a detection module are mutually independently integrated on the base. The reaction cup conveyance module is used for conveying a reaction cup to a pre-determined position; the manipulator and transit module carries the reaction cup into the incubation module, to incubate the reaction cup for a constant-temperature reaction; the reaction cup in the incubation module is carried to the magnetic-separation cleaning module for magnetic-adsorption cleaning; and the reaction cup after cleaning is carried by the manipulator and transit module to the detection module for detection. A plurality of manipulators and a plurality of transit devices may be disposed as required, to link the mutually independent functional parts of the modules. Further, the instrument may be equipped with detection modules and process modules of various detection platforms, which cooperate with the manipulator and transit module to realize diverse detection in a table-top production line manner.

An automated method for handling an in-vitro diagnostics IVD container in an IVD laboratory is proposed. The method comprises at least the steps of measuring at least one physical quantity of an IVD container, storing the at least one physical quantity in a read and writeable data carrier attached to the IVD container, and retrieving the at least one physical quantity from the read and writeable data carrier attached to the IVD container.

A method comprises: aspirating a sample through a needle capillary into a chamber having first and second windows, the capillary and chamber both affixed to a moveable robotic arm; causing a light beam generated by a light source that is affixed to the robotic arm to pass through the sample between the windows; detecting, using a photodetector that is affixed to the robotic arm, a quantity of the light that passes through the sample and the windows; determining an optical absorbance of the sample and a concentration of an analyte in the sample from the detected quantity of light; determining a quantity of the sample to dispense into an analytical apparatus based on the determined concentration; moving the robotic arm so as to cause the needle capillary to mate with an inlet port of an analytical apparatus; and dispensing the determined quantity of the sample into the analytical apparatus.

The invention is a flexible and configurable inspection system for the inspection of container units that combines and integrates a holding assembly for multiple containers integrating servo-controlled rotation of the units, transport and positioning of the containers that simulate human handling, and camera stations employing automated vision inspection. The system performs horizontal inspection for particulate and any other container defect that promotes particulate to better locate within the inspection area of the cameras. Inspection sequences and product recipes combine the typical manual inspection agitation with automated inspection rotational techniques to optimize detection. The system allows for semi-automatic operation with the operator at the front of the station feeding and out-feeding material manually or fully automated with conveyance system feeding and out-feeding material from the back of the station.

Systems and methods permit filling containers with a product. A filling arm is disposed within a chamber. An optical sensor is configured to sense openings of the containers within the chamber. Locations of the sensed openings are used to guide the filling arm to fill the containers with a product.

A fluid analysis arrangement (1) comprises a particle quantifying device (4), a holder (6), a robot (3), a washing station (5) and a control unit (2). The particle quantifying device (4) has a sensor unit (42) with a sensing stick (421) to be arranged in a fluid to sense for particles in the fluid, and an evaluation unit (41). The holder (6) has a plurality of seats each configured to receive a container in which a sample fluid is arranged. The control unit (2) is connected to the particle quantifying device (4) and the robot (3). The sensor unit (42) is mounted to the robot (3). The control unit (2) is configured to control the robot (3) to arrange the sensing stick (421) in one of the sample fluids of each container received in the seats of the holder (6) after another, activate the particle quantifying device to sense for particles in the sample fluids, and control the robot (3) to arrange the sensing stick (421) in the washing station (5) after each sensing for particles in one of the sample fluids and before arranging the sensing stick (421) in a next one of the sample fluids.