Devices, systems and methods including a sonicator for sample preparation are provided. A sonicator may be used to mix, resuspend, aerosolize, disperse, disintegrate, or de-gas a solution. A sonicator may be used to disrupt a cell, such as a pathogen cell in a sample. Sample preparation may include exposing pathogen-identifying material by sonication to detect, identify, or measure pathogens. A sonicator may transfer ultrasonic energy to the sample solution by contacting its tip to an exterior wall of a vessel containing the sample. Multipurpose devices including a sonicator also include further components for additional actions and assays. Devices, and systems comprising such devices, may communicate with a laboratory or other devices in a system for sample assay and analysis. Methods utilizing such devices and systems are provided. The improved sample preparation devices, systems and methods are useful for analyzing samples, e.g. for diagnosing patients suffering from infection by pathogens.

In the field of automatic analyzers, as items to be analyzed are increase, various reagents differing in such properties as liquid viscosity and contact angle are being used more frequently, and this trend is expected to continue. Also, reagents now take various forms (e.g., a concentrated reagent to be diluted by the water of an automatic analyzer), and so does dilution water. Such being the case, the invention provides an automatic analyzer capable of sufficient stirring regardless of items to be analyzed. To sufficiently stir a substance to which a reagent has been added, the automatic analyzer is designed to alter stirring conditions after a given amount of time has passed since the addition of that reagent.

Devices, systems, and methods for detecting molecules of interest within a collected sample are described herein. In certain embodiments, self-contained sample analysis systems are disclosed, which include a reusable reader component, a disposable cartridge component, and a disposable sample collection component. The reader component may communicate with a remote computing device for the digital transmission of test protocols and test results. In various disclosed embodiments, the systems, components, and methods are configured to identify the presence, absence, and/or quantity of particular nucleic acids, proteins, or other analytes of interest, for example, in order to test for the presence of one or more pathogens or contaminants in a sample.

The current invention relates to the method and apparatus to separate biological entities from a fluid sample. The claimed methods separate biological entities based on size of entities by using acoustic pressure nodes in a microfluidic device. The claimed methods further separate biological entities with magnetic labels and by using a magnetic device. The claimed methods further include combination of microfluidic devices and magnetic devices to separate biological entities from a fluid sample.

An apparatus for performing sonication on liquid samples comprises a rack for holding an array of sample vials, an ultrasonic probe with an arrangement of recesses corresponding to the array of sample vials and adapted to respectively receive and contact an outer surface of a bottom portion of a respective one of the sample vials, and a counter-holder with an arrangement of pushing members corresponding to the array of sample vials and adapted to respectively apply a force to a respective one of the sample vials so as to push the bottom portion of each vial into contact with the associated recess of the probe. The apparatus can be used in a method of preparing a sample for detection of cell components (e.g. cell analyte, proteins, nucleid acids etc.) and applying sonication within certain parameter ranges which can provide a universal lysis method that can be applied to a large variety of cells or organisms like all bacteria, viruses, spores, yeast and mold within the same apparatus and process.

The automatic analysis device 100 is provided with: a specimen dispensing mechanism 101 that dispenses subject blood plasma and/or normal blood plasma to be added to correct the coagulation time of the subject blood plasma, into a plurality of specimen containers 103; reaction containers 104 that contain the subject blood plasma and/or the normal blood plasma; a reagent dispensing mechanism 106 that dispenses a reagent into the reaction containers 104; and a detecting unit 113 which applies light from a light source 115 to the subject blood plasma and/or the normal blood plasma to which the reagent is added in the reaction containers 104, and which measures the coagulation time on the basis of the obtained scattered light and/or transmitted light.

Devices, systems and methods including a sonicator for sample preparation are provided. A sonicator may be used to mix, resuspend, aerosolize, disperse, disintegrate, or de-gas a solution. A sonicator may be used to disrupt a cell, such as a pathogen cell in a sample. Sample preparation may include exposing pathogen-identifying material by sonication to detect, identify, or measure pathogens. A sonicator may transfer ultrasonic energy to the sample solution by contacting its tip to an exterior wall of a vessel containing the sample. Multipurpose devices including a sonicator also include further components for additional actions and assays. Devices, and systems comprising such devices, may communicate with a laboratory or other devices in a system for sample assay and analysis. Methods utilizing such devices and systems are provided. The improved sample preparation devices, systems and methods are useful for analyzing samples, e.g. for diagnosing patients suffering from infection by pathogens.

[Problem]

Provided are a highly reliable automatic analyzer and an abnormality determination method for the same.

[Solution]

The automatic analyzer comprises: a stirring unit that stirs a sample and a reagent by irradiating a reaction container with ultrasonic waves; a power amplifier that applies a voltage to a piezoelectric element of the stirring unit; an impedance measuring unit that measures an electric impedance of the piezoelectric element of the stirring unit; an analyzing unit that makes component analysis of a reaction liquid of the sample and the reagent; and a control unit that controls the stirring unit, the power amplifier, the impedance measuring unit, and the analyzing unit. The automatic analyzer has a plurality of stirring units as mentioned above. The control unit determines a connection condition between the stirring unit and the power amplifier or the impedance measuring unit, or an inclination condition of the automatic analyzer according to the electric impedance measured by the impedance measuring unit for the stirring units.

An automated dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method of detecting and quantifying N-nitrosamines in an aqueous sample. The method includes (a) extracting an aqueous solution including the N-nitrosamines by mixing an extraction solvent and a dispersive solvent with the aqueous solution, such that the N-nitrosamines, or a portion thereof, re-distribute from the aqueous solution to the extraction solvent, (b) permitting the resulting mixture in (a) to form a two-phase mixture containing an aqueous phase containing the aqueous solution with reduced amounts of the N-nitrosamines and an organic phase including the extraction solvent with the N-nitrosamines extracted from the aqueous solution, (c) injecting the organic phase, or a portion thereof, into an injection port of a gas chromatograph coupled with at least one mass spectrometer, and (d) analyzing the N-nitrosamines by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect and quantify the concentration of the N-nitrosamines in the aqueous solution.

An automated dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method of detecting and quantifying N-nitrosamines in an aqueous sample. The method includes (a) extracting an aqueous solution comprising the N-nitrosamines by mixing an extraction solvent and a dispersive solvent with the aqueous solution, such that the N-nitrosamines, or a portion thereof, re-distribute from the aqueous solution to the extraction solvent, (b) permitting the resulting mixture in (a) to form a two-phase mixture comprising an aqueous phase comprising the aqueous solution with reduced amounts of the N-nitrosamines and an organic phase comprising the extraction solvent with the N-nitrosamines extracted from the aqueous solution, (c) injecting the organic phase, or a portion thereof, into an injection port of a gas chromatograph coupled with at least one mass spectrometer, and (d) analyzing the N-nitrosamines by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect and quantify the concentration of the N-nitrosamines in the aqueous solution.