An automated analyzer includes two or more types of photometers to obtain suitable output of the measurement results of the plurality of photometers and suitable data alarm output even if there is an abnormality, or the like, at the time of measurement. The automated analyzer includes, for example, two types of photometers having different quantitative ranges and an analysis control unit for controlling analysis that includes measurement of a given sample using the two types of photometers. If two types of data alarms corresponding to abnormalities, or the like, during measurement have been added to the two types of measurement results from the two types of photometers, the analysis control unit selects measurement result and data alarm output corresponding to the combination of the two types of data alarms and outputs the same to a user as analysis results.

A method for operating and diagnosing faults in a laboratory instrument comprising a plurality of subsystems may comprise performing an analytic sequence and a set of diagnostic steps. Such a method may be performed using a diagnostic reagent comprising paramagnetic particles and lacking an antibody component. Such a method may also include evaluating a set of the instrument's subsystems in the opposite of the order in which those subsystems are used during analysis.

A method for saving and/or restoring settings of an instrument for processing a sample or reagent is disclosed. The instrument comprises a control unit and an operating system. A storage medium is provided to the instrument. The storage medium comprises a script. The script restores data for restoring settings of the instrument. The script is encrypted and/or digitally signed. The method verifies an identity and/or integrity of the script and executes the script upon starting the instrument by the operating system with the storage medium when the identity and/or integrity of the script correspond to an identity and/or integrity of the instrument. The control unit provides an input menu for allowing a user to input a saving and/or restoring command. The instrument saves settings on the storage medium and/or restores settings of the instrument from the storage medium by the restoring data corresponding to the saving and/or restoring command.

An immunoblotting instrument and a control method are provided. The immunoblotting instrument comprises an immunoblotting instrument body, and an immunoblotting instrument control device, an incubation device and a liquid feeding and sucking device that are provided on the immunoblotting instrument body, and further comprises a temperature control device for controlling the incubation environment temperature of the immunoblotting membrane. By setting the temperature control device in the immunoblotting instrument to control the temperature of the reaction environment between the immunoblotting membrane and the reagent, the immunoblotting membrane can contact and react with the reagent under the same and set environmental condition, so that the reliability of the final detection results can be improved; at the same time, each functional module is associated and controlled by the control device, so that the entire immunoblotting process is automatically completed, reducing manual intervention and improving work efficiency.

An automatic analyzer includes a flow cell detector, a nozzle that is connected to the flow cell detector by a flow path and aspirates or discharges liquid, a reservoir that is provided with a table and a table driving mechanism that rotates or moves the table up and down, and a cleaning tank that is disposed on the table. A position of the nozzle is fixed, and a cleaning water discharge port discharges cleaning water used for cleaning the nozzle at an angle φ with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the nozzle. An upper part of a side wall of the cleaning tank is continuous with an upper discharge unit at a side facing a discharge outlet provided in the reservoir and a spatula-shaped part projects outward of the cleaning tank at a side facing the upper discharge unit.

There is provided a technique that can efficiently control disposal and use of containers of an automatic analyzer. An automatic analyzer includes a controller, a container retaining mechanism (incubator), a dispensing mechanism, a detection mechanism, and a transfer mechanism. The dispensing mechanism includes a liquid surface detection mechanism. The controller uses the dispensing mechanism at a prescribed timing to detect the presence or absence of the liquid surface at a target position on the container retaining mechanism to determine a state including the presence or absence of the container accommodating a reaction solution. The controller performs control in which the operation of disposal using the transfer mechanism is performed at a position when a state is determined in which the container is present, and the operation of disposal using the transfer mechanism is not performed at the position when a state is determined in which the container is not present.

A system having a first automatic machine (1) for processing or investigating biological samples and a second automatic machine (16) for processing or investigating biological samples. The first machine (1) and the second machine (16) are electrically connected to an electrical power grid in order to be supplied with electrical energy as an electrical load. The first machine (1) has a first control apparatus (13) and the second machine (16) has a second control apparatus (19), which detect disruptions in the supply of electrical energy from the power grid and, in the event of a disruption, switch over to a withdrawal of electrical energy from a first energy reservoir (12) or a second energy reservoir (18). The first machine (1) and the second machine (16) are also electrically connected to each other, such that the electrical energy is transferrable from an energy store of one of the automatic machines to the other automatic machine.

There is provided an analysis device including one or a plurality of analysis units each including a unit main body that is a primary subject of an analysis operation, a first power supply configured to supply power to the unit main body, a unit controller configured to operate the unit main body according to a control signal input from an outside, and switch a connected state/disconnected state between the first power supply and the unit main body, and a second power supply configured to supply lower-voltage power to the unit controller than the first power supply (63); and a central controller configured to send a control signal to the unit controller of each of the one or plurality of analysis units.

One variation of a method includes, during a calibration period: triggering collection of an initial bioaerosol sample by an air sampler located in an environment; and triggering dispensation of a tracer test load by a dispenser located in the environment; accessing a detected barcode level of a barcode detected in the initial bioaerosol sample; accessing a true barcode level of the barcode contained in the tracer test load; and deriving a calibration factor for the environment based on a difference between the detected barcode level and the true barcode level. The method further includes, during a live period succeeding the calibration period: triggering collection of a first bioaerosol sample by the air sampler; accessing a detected pathogen level of a pathogen detected in the first bioaerosol sample; and interpreting a predicted pathogen level of the pathogen in the environment based on the detected pathogen level and the calibration factor.

An automatic analysis device includes a probe that performs a dispensing operation including a suction process and a discharge process with respect to liquid; a syringe that generates a pressure change for dispensing liquid at the probe; a flow path that connects the probe and the syringe with each other; a pressure sensor that measures the pressure change in the flow path at the time of liquid dispensing; a storage portion that stores a pressure change of time-series when reference fluid is discharged as a reference discharge pressure waveform; and a determination portion that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the suction process of the sample from a relationship between a value of difference or a ratio between the reference discharge pressure waveform and the pressure waveform of a determination target at the time of discharge of liquid and normal range.