To provide an automated analyzer capable of shortening analysis time. The automated analyzer includes a vessel which contains a mixed solution of a specimen and a reagent; and a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer before the second operation, in which the control unit performs the first operation and the third operation in parallel. Alternatively, the automated analyzer includes a control unit which controls a first operation performed on the vessel, a second operation performed on the vessel after the first operation, and a third operation performed on a predetermined mechanism of the automated analyzer after the first operation, in which the control unit performs the second operation and the third operation in parallel.

A diagnostic device has a sample probe for receiving sample material from one or more containers, a sample line for delivering the sample material to one or more reaction containers, a reagent supply and reagent supply line for supplying reagent to the one or more reaction containers, an incubation ring for receiving the reaction containers and incubating a mixture of the sample material and the reagent for a period of time, and a heating system for heating one or more areas or components of the device. The heating system has one or more positive temperature coefficient heaters.

A device for storing, incubating or manipulating biological samples, in particular incubating device or shaking device, comprising a sample chamber, an irradiation chamber, and a holder with a UV light source, wherein a sidewall of the irradiation chamber comprises a first mounting member and wherein the holder comprises a second mounting member configured to interact with the first mounting member for pre-mounting the holder to the sidewall.

Embodiments allow for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) at a low cost. Embodiments may use changes in the pixel intensity from reflected light to determine microorganism growth and antimicrobial resistance. Dilutions of an antimicrobial are added to a standard well plate or other array. A pathogen or other microorganism may be added to the dilutions in the well plate. The well plate may be incubated for a time period less than 3 hours. The well plate may then be imaged and the resulting image data may be analyzed. Wells where the microorganism is able to grow may appear darker than wells where the microorganism did not grow. Differences pixel intensity of the wells is used to determine the susceptibility or resistance of the microorganism to the antimicrobial. The image data may be used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the lowest dilution concentration of antimicrobial that inhibits growth.

Methods and systems for managing a petri-dish. Embodiments herein disclose a RFID tag affixed on the petri-dish, wherein the RFID tag has a thin formfactor, so as not to interfere in the use and operation of the petri-dish and a sufficiently large readability range. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for RFID based asset tracking of petri-dishes in a laboratory/pharmaceutical/manufacturing environment, wherein the movement of the petri-dishes are tracked automatically with minimal manual intervention.

Provided herein, among other aspects, are methods and apparatuses for analyzing particles in a sample. In some aspects, the particles can be analytes, cells, nucleic acids, or proteins and contacted with a tag, partitioned into aliquots, detected by a ranking device, and isolated. The methods and apparatuses provided herein may include a microfluidic chip. In some aspects, the methods and apparatuses may be used to quantify rare particles in a sample, such as cancer cells and other rare cells for disease diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment.

Method includes positioning a first carrier assembly on a system stage. The carrier assembly includes a support frame having an inner frame edge that defines a window of the support frame. The first carrier assembly includes a first substrate that is positioned within the window and surrounded by the inner frame edge. The first substrate has a sample thereon. The method includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the first substrate. The method also includes replacing the first carrier assembly on the system stage with a second carrier assembly on the system stage. The second carrier assembly includes the support frame and an adapter plate held by the support frame. The second carrier assembly has a second substrate held by the adapter plate that has a sample thereon. The method also includes detecting optical signals from the sample of the second substrate.

An automatic analyzer has a supply unit that stores and supplies a liquid to be used by the analyzer, an analyzer circulation system that circulates the liquid within the analyzer, and a supply unit circulation system that circulates the liquid within the supply unit. An analysis controller switches a flow rate of the liquid circulated by at least one of the analyzer circulation system and the supply unit circulation system between a first flow rate in a normal state and a second flow rate different from the first flow rate. Consequently, by suppressing fungal propagation within a circulation flow path for a liquid, compared to conventional techniques, the frequency with which a liquid is replaced and the frequency with which the inside of a reaction tank is cleaned are reduced and a time period for a maintenance operation by an operator is reduced.

A system for detecting a target bacteria is disclosed. The system comprises a flow cytometer. The flow cytometer is configured to receive a fluid sample, wherein the fluid sample comprises at least a target bacteria and at least a contaminant bacteria. The flow cytometer is also configured to generate a first enumeration of a total bacteria in the fluid sample during a pre-incubation phase. The fluid sample is then incubated during an incubation phase. The flow cytometer then generates a second enumeration of the total bacteria in the fluid sample during a post-incubation phase. A computing device then determines a growth ratio of the total bacteria as a function of the first enumeration and the second enumeration. Finally, the computing device identifies the presence of the at least a target bacteria as a function of the growth ratio.

An automated biologic sample extracting system from a set of biological samples with a small footprint with minimal movement of the set of consumables, thereby reducing potential contamination during the extraction process. The extracting system comprising a set of reaction tubes, a storage unit to store a set of consumables; a sample preparation unit; a sample extraction unit; a waste unit; a plurality of robots to move tubes, samples, and boxes, and a programmable control system programmed to process samples in a serial pattern in which a series of samples follow one another to be processed in a time sequence and in succession so that it keeps a fixed processing turnaround time of each sample no matter when a sample would start the process.