In one embodiment, a biological sample analyzer has a housing having at least one outer wall that defines a cavity therein. A receptacle, which can support a consumable holder containing a biological sample, is disposed within the cavity. At least one heater applies heat to the consumable holder when the consumable holder is supported by the receptacle. At least one heater sensor detects a temperature of the receptacle over time. A controller directs the at least one heater to apply an elevated temperature to the consumable holder and reduces an amount of heat applied to the consumable holder before the consumable holder exceeds a target temperature that is less than the elevated temperature. By applying the elevated temperature, the consumable holder can be heated quicker than if it where heated at only the target temperature.

A cartridge for providing a target analyte for detection is described. One such exemplar cartridge includes a base portion including: (1) a receiving area disposed at or near a center region of the base portion; (2) multiple reaction wells disposed outside the center region or radially disposed at or near a perimeter of the base portion; and (3) multiple connecting tracks that substantially linearly extend from a region at or proximate to the receiving area to the multiple reaction wells and designed to convey a sample including the target analyte from the receiving area to the multiple reaction wells, each of which are configured to transform the sample to a detectable sample.

Systems and methods of reacting and detecting the sample including the target analyte are also described.

A cartridge for providing a target analyte for detection is described. One such exemplar cartridge includes a base portion including: (1) a receiving area disposed at or near a center region of the base portion; (2) multiple reaction wells disposed outside the center region or radially disposed at or near a perimeter of the base portion; and (3) multiple connecting tracks that substantially linearly extend from a region at or proximate to the receiving area to the multiple reaction wells and designed to convey a sample including the target analyte from the receiving area to the multiple reaction wells, each of which are configured to transform the sample to a detectable sample.

Systems and methods of reacting and detecting the sample including the target analyte are also described.

A microelectrode device, microfluidic chip, and microfluidic examination method are provided. The microfluidic chip includes a top plate and a microelectrode dot array having several microelectrode devices. Each microelectrode device includes a microfluidic electrode, heating electrode, and control circuit. The control circuit includes a microfluidic control and location sensing circuit, storage circuit, and temperature control circuit. The microfluidic control and location sensing circuit moves a sample within an enabling period of a microfluidic control signal and detects a capacitance value between the microfluidic electrode and the top plate within an enabling period of a location control signal. The storage circuit outputs the capacitance value, reads in the sample operation setup, and reads in the heating control setup within different enabling periods of the clock. The temperature control circuit determines either on or off according to the heating control setup within an enabling period of a heating control signal.

In one embodiment, a biological sample analyzer has a housing having at least one outer wall that defines a cavity therein. A receptacle, which can support a consumable holder containing a biological sample, is disposed within the internal cavity. At least one heater applies heat to the receptacle when the consumable holder is supported by the receptacle. At least one heater sensor detect temperatures of the receptacle over time. A controller detects whether the consumable holder is below an ambient temperature based on a decrease in temperature of the receptacle when the consumable holder is inserted into the receptacle. The controller also increases an amount of thermal energy transferred from the at least one heater to the consumable holder when the controller detects that the consumable holder is below the ambient temperature so as to heat the consumable holder to a target temperature.

In one embodiment, a diagnostic system includes an instrument coupled to a client device and having at least one sample processing bay. The diagnostic system has a software architecture including instrument software (ISW) associated with the instrument. The ISW receives an assay definition file (ADF) that has a control file and an assay analysis module (AAM) file. The processing bay prepares and senses the sample according to parameters in the OPUS file and then generates sensor scan data. The diagnostic system then analyzes the sensor scan data and prepares a report according to the AAM file.

Temperature uniformity of a reaction liquid in a plurality of reaction containers of an automatic analysis device is maintained by a heat block. A strip-shaped heater heats the heat block, and is wound and attached on an outer circumference of the heat block so that both end regions of the strip-shaped heater are adjacent to each other. The strip-shaped heater includes a heat generating resistor that is heated by applying an electric current, an insulating film sandwiching the heat generating resistor, and first and second electrical feed lines that are attached to both end portions of the heat generating resistor and supply power to the heat generating resistor. The width of the heat generating resistor in both end regions of the strip-shaped heater is formed to be narrower than the width of the heat generating resistor in the other region thereof.

In one embodiment, a biological sample analyzer has a housing having at least one outer wall that defines a cavity therein. A receptacle, which can support a consumable holder containing a biological sample, is disposed within the internal cavity. At least one heater applies heat to the receptacle when the consumable holder is supported by the receptacle. At least one heater sensor detect temperatures of the receptacle over time. A controller detects whether the consumable holder is below an ambient temperature based on a decrease in temperature of the receptacle when the consumable holder is inserted into the receptacle. The controller also increases an amount of thermal energy transferred from the at least one heater to the consumable holder when the controller detects that the consumable holder is below the ambient temperature so as to heat the consumable holder to a target temperature.

Disclosed herein are high-throughput sample processing systems and waste management systems, and methods of using the same.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus and method of improving temperature uniformity and suppressing well plate warping. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a barrier configured to be positioned above at least one well configured to contain a liquid sample, where a vessel includes the at least one well, where the vessel is transparent and is configured to be placed within a measurement chamber, where a light measurement apparatus includes the measurement chamber, where the light measurement apparatus is configured to measure light scattered from the liquid sample, where the barrier is configured to seal the at least one well from the measurement chamber, and a weighted lid configured to press a bottom surface of the vessel against a well plate retainer of the measurement chamber, thereby spreading heat among the at least one well and preventing the vessel from warping.