We describe apparatuses, systems, method, reagents, and kits for conducting assays as well as process for their preparation. They are particularly well suited for conducting automated sampling, sample preparation, and analysis in a multi-well plate assay format. For example, they may be used for automated analysis of particulates in air and/or liquid samples derived therefrom in environmental monitoring.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods for performing amplicon rescue multiplex polymerase chain reaction (arm-PCR). In one embodiment, the system comprises a processor and a reader coupled to a control element. The control element is configured to control the operation of the processor and the reader based on a variety of settings. The processor is configured to receive a self-contained cassette for performing PCR amplification of DNA and/or RNA obtained from an organic specimen. The processor engages with the cassette and manipulates reagents within the cassette in order to amplify and detect the DNA from the specimen. The processor also causes the cassette to deposit the DNA on a microarray within the cassette. The reader is configured to receive the cassette after it has been processed by the processor and to capture an image of the microarray for transmission to the control element as test data. The control element is further configured to analyze the test data received from the reader and to produce an output indicative of a comparison of the test data to predefined data.

A diffusion cell includes: a donor chamber having bottom; a receptor chamber below and in fluid communication with the donor chamber, and having upper and lower ends; a membrane between and in contact with the bottom of the donor chamber and upper end of the receptor chamber, and adapted to diffuse some of the media in a liquid from the donor chamber to the receptor chamber; a conduit having a first port near the lower end of the receptor chamber and a second port above the first port and near the upper end of the receptor chamber; and a bubble trap in fluid communication with the upper end of the receptor chamber and having a third port higher than the second port; wherein circulation of a flow of fluid through the conduit and the receptor chamber removes bubbles from underneath the membrane and transports bubbles to the bubble trap.

Example automated storage modules for analyzer liquids are described herein. An example apparatus includes a refrigerated storage module having a plurality of shelves (to store a plurality of carriers) and a loading bay having an array of slots to receive one or more of the carriers. The loading bay is accessible by a user for manual loading or unloading of the carriers. The example apparatus includes a first carrier transporter coupled to the storage module to transfer the carriers between the shelves and a first transfer location and a second carrier transporter movable along a track connecting the storage module to an automated diagnostic analyzer. The second carrier transporter is to transfer a first carrier between the first transfer location and a slot in the loading bay and a second carrier between the first transfer location and a second transfer location accessible by the automated diagnostic analyzer.

Disclosed is a station, for testing an analyte in a sample, enabling accurate and quick reaction and analysis of the sample and a reagent in one apparatus. To this end, the present disclosure provides a station, which is for testing a sample by means of inserting a cuvette, having a standby chamber on which a collecting member is placed, a sample chamber, a reagent chamber and a detection unit. The station comprises: a housing which has an input/output part into which a cuvette is inserted; a driving unit which is provided inside the housing, horizontally moves the cuvette, vertically moves a collecting member, reacts a sample in a sample chamber and a reagent in a reagent chamber, and injects a reaction result thereof into a detection unit; and an optical reader which is provided on the horizontal movement path of the cuvette and is for analyzing the reaction result.

A pipetting apparatus (10) having a guidance frame (12) having a first linear guidance rail (52) and having a second linear guidance rail (56), the first and the second linear guidance rail (52, 56) proceeding parallel to one another along a displacement axis (VL) and being provided at a distance from one another orthogonally to the displacement axis (VL), and having a pipetting channel (14) which extends along a channel axis (K14) that is nonparallel, preferably orthogonal, to the displacement axis (VL) and which is guided displaceably along the displacement axis (VL) with a first bearing component (54) on the first linear guidance rail (52) and with a second bearing component (58) on the second linear guidance rail (56), is characterized in that the first and the second bearing component (54, 58) are arranged with a spacing (A) from one another along the displacement axis (VL).

The present invention relates to a fluid transport system for an automated slide treatment apparatus for treating one or more tissue samples disposed on slides, whereby the slide treatment apparatus includes a plurality of slide treatment modules arranged to receive ones of the slides, and the fluid transport system includes a fluid dispensing robot configured by a controller to dispense a plurality of reagents to said ones of the slides received in the slide treatment modules to treat said one or more tissue samples respectively.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally pertain to systems and methods for performing amplicon rescue multiplex polymerase chain reaction (arm-PCR). In one embodiment, the system comprises a processor and a reader coupled to a control element. The control element is configured to control the operation of the processor and the reader based on a variety of settings. The processor is configured to receive a self-contained cassette for performing PCR amplification of DNA and/or RNA obtained from an organic specimen. The processor engages with the cassette and manipulates reagents within the cassette in order to amplify and detect the DNA from the specimen. The processor also causes the cassette to deposit the DNA on a microarray within the cassette. The reader is configured to receive the cassette after it has been processed by the processor and to capture an image of the microarray for transmission to the control element as test data. The control element is further configured to analyze the test data received from the reader and to produce an output indicative of a comparison of the test data to predefined data.

A rover-based integrated laboratory system including autonomous mobile robots is disclosed. Namely, a rover-based integrated laboratory system is disclosed comprising a workspace; a laboratory component within the workspace, the laboratory component being adapted to perform a laboratory technique; a labware component within the workspace that is adapted to be used in the laboratory technique; and a rover component within the workspace that is operatively connected to the laboratory and the labware components, the rover component being an autonomous mobile robot.

We describe apparatuses, systems, method, reagents, and kits for conducting assays as well as process for their preparation. They are particularly well suited for conducting automated sampling, sample preparation, and analysis in a multi-well plate assay format. For example, they may be used for automated analysis of particulates in air and/or liquid samples derived therefrom in environmental monitoring.