An analysis unit analyzes a sample inside an area defined by partition walls. An inside environment control device controls the state of the environment inside the analysis unit. The states of the environment inside and outside the analysis unit are measured, and a door is provided in a partition wall between the inside and the outside of the analysis unit that allows access to the analysis unit from the outside. A control device controls whether the door can be opened/closed, and opening of the door is prohibited when the analysis unit contains a sample that has not been completely analyzed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the effects of the environment outside an inspection device on the environment inside the inspection device and to suppress reductions in the accuracy of inspection results due to changes in the environment inside the inspection device.

There is provided a nucleic acid analysis apparatus including a heating unit configured to apply heat by contacting a microchip, and a chip holding unit configured to change a position between a first holding position that holds the microchip in midair and a second holding position that holds the microchip in contact with the heating unit.

The Benchtop Laboratory Apparatus Automation System, hereafter referred to as BLAAS, is designed for automation of common laboratory benchtop devices such as pipette tip boxes, waste containers, sample tubes and trays, and reagent or solvent containers. The BLAAS consists of a microprocessor, sensor and physical actuator attached to the benchtop device. A user's hand approaching the device will be detected and the system will respond by opening the device, allowing hands-free access to the contents. After a short delay, the top closes again after the hand clears the device. A light will illuminate to indicate when the device is actively opening, and parameters like the speed of the movement, the stop positions of the servo and the time the device remains open can be adjusted.

An automatic analysis device is provided with a reagent container disk, a reagent loader (6), a reagent loader position sensor, an RFID antenna, a memory unit, a reagent loading switch (26), and reagent load position LEDs (21-25). The reagent loader (6) has a plurality of slots for inserting reagent containers (4) and moves between the outside and the reagent container disk. The reagent load position LEDs (21-25) display determination results for each slot indicating whether the reagent accommodated in the reagent container inserted into the slot or the slot can be used on the basis of the presence of a reagent container in the slot and the reagent state of the inserted reagent or the state of the slot.

A method for increasing operational security of a laboratory system or device comprising: a reagent storage area (1) comprising at least two reagent drawers (2, 3) mounted slidably along a first axis Y between an open position (O) and a closed position (C) and arranged stacked with respect to a second axis Z perpendicular to the first axis Y, and having each a position sensor (P2, P3) for determining the closed position (C) of the respective reagent drawer (2, 3), at least one robotic handler head (4) movably arranged in the reagent storage area at least along the first axis Y and the second axis Z a control unit (5) configured to control the operation of the robotic handler head (4) and connected to the position sensors (P2, P3), the method comprising the steps of defining for each reagent drawer (2, 3) a first forbidden zone along the first axis Y (Y) and a second forbidden along the second axis Z (Z2, Z3), determining by means of the position sensors (P2, P3) if the reagent storage drawers (2, 3) are in the closed position (C), and control the operation of the handler head (4).

An interlock unit for preventing rotation from a closed position of a cover to an open position thereof, includes: a hollow case having a rectangular parallelepiped shape disposed at a position adjacent to an inner side surface of a casing, below an end part opposite to a support shaft at the closed position of the cover; an action member that is provided on an upper surface of the case, supported to be movable between a non-operating position and an operating position, and engaged with a protruding part provided on the cover at the operating position to inhibit the cover from rotating toward the open position; electromagnetic drive means provided below the action member to drive the action member; and drive connecting means for driving the action member by connecting the action member and the electromagnetic drive means and transmitting an operation of the electromagnetic drive means to the action member.

A system for controlling access to an interior of a laboratory enclosure comprises a motor in communication with an access door of the laboratory enclosure to transition the access door between an open state and a closed state, the access door exposing an opening to a work surface inside the laboratory enclosure in the open state and at least partially covering the opening in a closed state; an electronic controller that generates control signals for the motor to transition the access door between the open state and the closed state; and a software interface configured to provide a data instruction from an external computer to the electronic controller to generate the control signals and governing the movement of the access door.

A sample analyzer is configured to execute a liquid surface detection of detecting a liquid surface in a container by a liquid surface detector prior to a lowering operation of an aspirating tube for aspirating the liquid if a liquid level information is not stored in a memory, and store a liquid level information of a container in the memory based on a detection result by the liquid surface detection. Also, a liquid aspirating method by a sample analyzer.

In an automatic analysis device, when an external force acts on a probe guard 26 in a horizontal direction, the probe guard 26 moves in a direction escaping from the external force around a center portion 47 of a test body container installing mechanism 1, and the probe guard 26 is separated from a fixed position. An outer circumferential wall 29 of the probe guard 26 invades a test body sampling mechanism track 28, and thus a risk that a sampling nozzle 23 of a test body sampling mechanism 5 invades the test body container installing mechanism 1 is avoided by the outer circumferential wall 29. When the probe guard 26 is separated from the fixed position, this is detected, and thus the operation of the test body sampling mechanism 5 and the test body container installing mechanism 1 is stopped.

Disclosed is an analyzer comprising: a liquid container mounting section in which a liquid container are set; a container mounting section in which at least one tip container accommodating a plurality of pipette tips is set; a cover detecting section that detects a presence of a cover mounted on the tip container; a dispensing section that equips a pipette tip accommodated in the tip container and dispenses a quantity of liquid from the liquid container to a reaction container via the equipped pipette tip; a detecting section that interrogate a property of the liquid; and a controller programmed to prohibit a process of equipping the pipette tip by the dispensing section when the cover on the tip container is detected, and permits the process when no cover is detected.