The present disclosure relates to a cuvette box conveying device, a cuvette box conveying method, and a sample analyzer. The cuvette box conveying device includes a frame. The frame includes a new box placing position and a waste box recycling position. The new box placing position and the waste box recycling position are arranged on different layers in the direction of Z axis, so as to reduce the space occupied by the new box placing position and the waste box recycling position on an XY plane. In the cuvette box conveying device, the space occupied by the new box placing position and the waste box recycling position on the XY plane is reduced by arranging the new box placing position and the waste box recycling position on different layers in the direction of Z axis.

A device for receiving, stacking, and removing microplates is presented and described. The device comprises a tower for stacking the microplates, wherein a microplate comprises a container and, optionally, a lid. There is a retaining device at the lower end of the tower, which has a first retaining tool and a second retaining tool, and preferably partially encompasses a microplate. The first retaining tool is designed to hold a microplate in a form-fitting manner. The second retaining tool is designed to fix a container in the microplate in place in a frictional manner. The first retaining tool is above the second retaining tool in the stacking direction. A system that comprises the device described above, a dispenser device, and a transport device, is also disclosed. The dispenser device is used to fill microplates, and the transport device is used to add and remove microplates to and from the device.

A flexible instrument control and data storage/management system and method for representing and processing assay plates having one or more predefined plate locations is disclosed. The system utilizes a graph data structure, layer objects and data objects. The layer objects map the graph data structure to the data objects. The graph data structure can comprise one node for each of the one or more predefined plate locations, wherein the nodes can be hierarchically defined according to a predefined plate location hierarchy. Each node can be given a unique node identifier, a node type and a node association that implements the predefined plate location hierarchy. The layer objects can include an index that maps the node identifiers to the data objects.

Example automated diagnostic analyzers and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. An example apparatus described herein includes a first carousel rotatably coupled to a base and having a first axis of rotation. The example apparatus includes a second carousel rotatably coupled to the base and vertically spaced over the first carousel such that at least a portion of the second carousel is disposed over the first carousel. In the example apparatus, the second carousel has a second axis of rotation and a plurality of vessels. The example apparatus also includes a pipetting mechanism offset from the second axis of rotation. The example pipetting mechanism is to access the first carousel and the second carousel.

Example automated diagnostic analyzers and methods for using the same are disclosed herein. An example apparatus described herein includes a first carousel rotatably coupled to a base and having a first axis of rotation. The example apparatus includes a second carousel rotatably coupled to the base and vertically spaced over the first carousel such that at least a portion of the second carousel is disposed over the first carousel. In the example apparatus, the second carousel has a second axis of rotation and a plurality of vessels. The example apparatus also includes a pipetting mechanism offset from the second axis of rotation. The example pipetting mechanism is to access the first carousel and the second carousel.

A biological material measuring instrument is described. The biological material measuring instrument includes a rotating body and a main body. The rotating body includes one or more cartridge holders having cuvettes in which a reagent and an analyte in a sample react. The main body includes a pair of light-emitting parts and light-receiving parts to optically measure the analyte in the sample. The rotating body further includes a light-emitting optical waveguide for guiding the light of the light-emitting parts to the cuvette and a light-receiving optical waveguide for guiding.

[Problem] To ensure that a fluid is prevented from overflowing from a well and exposing the user to a biohazard. [Solution] A cartridge for use in measuring a component to be measured contained in a fluid includes a recessed well, formed for storing the fluid, the well including: a lower barrel portion that defines a lower space having a closed bottom; and an upper barrel portion that is formed above the lower barrel portion and defines an upper space having an opening on the top end, wherein a step portion is formed between the lower barrel portion and the upper barrel portion, the step portion being formed on an inner wall surface of the well and defining a step that continuously connects the inner wall surface of the lower barrel portion and the inner wall surface of the upper barrel portion.

[Problem] To ensure that a fluid is prevented from overflowing from a well and exposing the user to a biohazard. [Solution] A cartridge for use in measuring a component to be measured contained in a fluid includes a recessed well, formed for storing the fluid, the well including: a lower barrel portion that defines a lower space having a closed bottom; and an upper barrel portion that is formed above the lower barrel portion and defines an upper space having an opening on the top end, wherein a step portion is formed between the lower barrel portion and the upper barrel portion, the step portion being formed on an inner wall surface of the well and defining a step that continuously connects the inner wall surface of the lower barrel portion and the inner wall surface of the upper barrel portion.

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 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.