A method for automated identification of a state of a sample such as, for example, for identifying whether or not the sample was centrifuged is presented. A device for analyzing samples and a laboratory automation system are also presented in which the method is applied.

Analytical assay reaction cartridges, kits containing same, and methods of production and use thereof are disclosed. These cartridges include a magnetic assembly that surrounds at least a portion of a sample read window on the cartridge. The cartridge also includes an analytical reagent positioned therewithin, wherein the analytical reagent comprises magnetic beads coated with at least one anti-red blood cell antibody.

A method for measuring a concentration of molecules, characterized in that the method measures the concentration of molecules dissolved in a continuous phase of a colloid and includes obtaining a test sample by mixing a number of molecules with a volume of colloid, obtaining a control sample by mixing a number of molecules with a volume of a composition comprising a particle-free solution extracted from a fraction of the continuous phase of same colloid used in the obtaining the test sample, so that a value of the concentration of molecules in the mixture is equal to the value of the concentration of molecules in the test sample obtained in the obtaining the test sample, and submitting the test and the control samples obtained in the obtaining the test sample and obtaining the control sample to a process in order to concentrate the particles of the test sample.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward devices, systems, and method for conducting nucleic acid purification and quantification using sedimentation. In one example, a method includes generating complexes which bind to a plurality of beads in a fluid sample, individual ones of the complexes comprising a nucleic acid molecule such as DNA or RNA and a labeling agent. The plurality of beads including the complexes may be transported through a density media, wherein the density media has a density lower than a density of the beads and higher than a density of the fluid sample, and wherein the transporting occurs, at least in part, by sedimentation. Signal may be detected from the labeling agents of the complexes.

A centrifugal field-flow fractionation device capable of improving analysis performance and shortening analysis time is provided. A first channel 111 communicating with a channel member is formed on a rotational shaft 11 that rotates together with a rotor. A second channel 644 communicating with the first channel 111 is formed on a fixing portion 60 fixed in a state of facing the rotational shaft 11 along a rotational axis L. A mechanical seal 66 having a pair of seal rings 661 and 662 that come into contact with each other and a biasing member 663 is provided to attach one seal ring 661 to the rotational shaft 11 and the other seal ring 662 to the fixing portion 60. The biasing member 663 biases the pair of seal rings 661 and 662 in a direction in which the pair of seal rings come in contact with each other. Since the rotational shaft 11 can be rotated at a high speed and the liquid sample can be fed at a high pressure, the analysis performance can be improved and the analysis time can be shortened.

The invention, provides a method, apparatus and system for separating blood and other types of cellular components, and can be combined with holographic optical trapping manipulation or other forms of optical tweezing. One of the exemplary methods includes providing a first flow having a plurality of blood components; providing a second flow; contacting the first flow with the second flow to provide a first separation region; and differentially sedimenting a first blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components into the second flow while concurrently maintaining a second blood cellular component of the plurality of blood components in the first flow. The second flow having the first blood cellular component is then differentially removed from the first flow having the second blood cellular component. Holographic optical traps may also be utilized in conjunction with the various flows to move selected components from one flow to another, as part of or in addition to a separation stage.

The present claimed invention is to facilitate cleaning work of a cell for a particle size distribution measuring device that measures a particle size distribution by means of a line start method, and comprises a cell 2 that houses a density gradient solution, a cell rotating mechanism 3 that rotates the cell 2 so that a centrifugal force is applied to the cell 2 from a smaller density gradient to a larger density gradient and a sample introducing mechanism 7 that introduces a measurement sample into the cell 2 that is rotated by the cell rotating mechanism 3, and is so configured that the cell 2 is detachable from a main body of the device.

An instrument for measuring characteristics of particles. A particle sample is introduced into a sample cell. The sample particles are subjected to gravitational or centrifugal forces wherein particle motion is dependent upon particle characteristics. The particles are illuminated by an illumination device to produce light scattered by the particles. The light is detected by at least one detector. Characteristics of the particles are determined from the detector signals.

The techniques described herein provide for improved efficiency of iPSC production from biological cells. The approach achieves improved iPSC production efficiency by obtaining a set of cells whose cell cycles are synchronized at a specific, desired cell cycle phase, such as mitotic phase (also referred to as M phase). The efficacy with which such synchronized cells can be transformed into iPSCs is higher than for an arbitrary set of cells that comprises cells at a variety of different stages in their cycles. Accordingly, the approaches described herein allow efficient generation of iPSCs, thereby facilitating myriad technologies for personalized and regenerative medicine that rely upon the effective production of iPSCs.

The invention is an image taking method comprising: taking images with a microscope in an analyzing space (40) at focal plane positions (5) shifted with an equal step size; and selecting an image from the taken images for further image processing. The images are taken of a sediment (31) of a liquid filled in the analyzing space (4) located between a transparent upper window portion (11) and a transparent lower window portion (21) of a container (30) adapted for analyzing a liquid, wherein the sediment (31) is centrifuged on an inner flat surface of the lower window portion (21), and wherein the method comprises: taking, in a first spatial region (41) of the analyzing pace (4), a first depth image sequence, and selecting from the first depth image sequence the image with the best contrast for further image processing, and taking, in a second spatial region (42) of the analyzing space (40), a second depth image sequence by taking into account the previous step, wherein the second depth image sequence has fewer images than the first depth image sequence, and selecting from the second depth image sequence the image with the best contrast for further image processing. The invention is further an image analysis method, a method for training an image analysis neural network, and an image analysis neural network based on the above.