The present invention relates to a horizontal-flow-type apparatus for automatically transporting reagent cartridges. The apparatus includes: a magazine (110) in which a plurality of reagent cartridges (1) is stacked; a conveyer belt (120) having a plurality of separating projections (121) arranged in a conveying direction to horizontally separately convey the reagent cartridges (1); a driving motor (130) for driving the conveyer belt (120); a feeding unit (140) for feeding the reagent cartridges (1) stacked in the magazine (110) onto the conveyer belt (120); an examining unit (150) disposed over the front end of the conveyer belt (120) to examine the reagent cartridges (1); and reagent cartridge aligning members (161, 162) disposed in the conveying line of the conveyer belt (120), opposite to the examining unit (150), to align the reagent cartridges (1) in position.

A reagent sleeve system such as can be used with various analyzers using chemical phenomena, analyzers and methods of using the reagent sleeve system and analyzer are described. The reagent sleeve system can include a reagent sleeve; and a plurality of removable reagent reservoirs located within the reagent sleeve, wherein each of the plurality of removable reagent reservoirs comprises a respective peripheral wall, and first and second end walls, whereby each of the plurality of removable reagent reservoirs contains a reagent located therein, and the first end wall is pierceable by a reagent extractor, and the reagent sleeve comprises a peripheral wall that encompasses the plurality of removable reagent reservoirs and holds the plurality of reagent reservoirs for sequential use.

The present disclosure relates to the field of a soil analysis apparatus. The apparatus comprises an enclosure, a provision for introducing a soil solution to be analyse, reservoir, a plurality of storage containers to store reagent solution, a frame member having a plurality of apertures to support a plurality of dispensing pipes, at least one pump coupled to a control unit and in fluid communication with the storage containers and the reservoir to dispense a predetermined quantity of the reagent and the soil solution into a receptacle. Further, at least one robotic arm assembly coupled with a control unit, traverses within the enclosure to receive the soil solution and reagents solution and to perform a mixing operation to obtain a mixture of soil solution and reagent solution. Further, an image capturing unit is present to capture images of the mixture to analyse the soil properties and nutrient content.

A microscope system includes a microscope stage having a top surface configured to have a sample carrier arranged thereon, the sample carrier being configured to receive at least one sample. The microscope system also includes an imaging system configured to image the at least one sample. The microscope system also includes an injector configured to inject a predetermined amount of a liquid into the sample carrier by injecting multiple successive and temporally spaced jets of the liquid into the sample carrier, each jet including a predetermined portion of the amount of liquid.

An automatic analysis apparatus is capable of stirring a reagent without reducing the analysis processing capacity. The automatic analysis apparatus includes a reagent table that is rotatable and that holds reagent vessels, and a plurality of magnets are disposed below the reagent table, with orientations of magnetic poles of the magnets fixed, along a movement path of the reagent vessels moving on a circumference when the reagent table is rotationally driven. The plurality of magnets is disposed such that the fixed orientations of the magnetic poles of the magnets vary along the movement path, and act a magnetic force on a stirring bar in each of the reagent vessels. When the reagent table is rotated and the reagent vessels pass above the magnets, the stirring bar in each of the reagent vessels is rotated or oscillated by the magnetic force received from the magnets, to stir the reagent.

Provided is an automatic analyzer capable of further reducing carryover between specimens. The automatic analyzer includes a first dispensing unit for dispensing a specimen related to a first analysis item group having a high possibility of carryover, a second dispensing unit for dispensing a specimen related to a second analysis item group having a low possibility of carryover, an input unit for receiving an input of analysis information related to a plurality of analysis items for a specimen, a classification unit for classifying the analysis information into the first analysis item group and the second analysis item group, and a determination unit for determining a dispensing sequence for each specimen for the first analysis item group and determining a dispensing sequence for each analysis item for the second analysis item group.

A toilet for administering a product to a user is disclosed. The toilet includes a bowl, a mechanism for administering the product to the user, a storage structure for storing the product, a sensor that detects a property of the product, and a processor. The bowl is adapted to receiving excreta from the user. The processor compares the detected property with a range of values indicating the suitability of the product for being applied to a user. The processor generates an alert when the detected property falls outside the range of values.

Valve assemblies and related systems are disclosed. An apparatus includes or comprises a system including or comprising an imaging system, a flow cell interface having a corresponding flow cell receptacle, a stage assembly, and a valve assembly including or comprising a valve and a valve drive assembly. The stage assembly moves the flow cell interface relative to the imaging system and the valve drive assembly is to drive the valve using shaped input signals to reduce vibration imposed on at least one of the stage assembly or another component of the apparatus based on movement of the valve.

An apparatus for preparing a reagent solution includes an enclosure and a container disposed within the enclosure. The container defines an internal cavity having a compressible volume and defines a passage providing fluidic communication between the internal cavity and the exterior of the container. Optionally, a compressible member is disposed within the internal cavity. A reagent is disposed within the internal cavity.

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.