Rotary valve systems with integrated sensors are described that facilitate stabilizing electrical connection from a valve actuator. A valve system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a multi-port rotary valve; an actuator attached to the multi-port rotary valve, wherein the actuator comprises a power connection fed from electronics associated with the actuator; an actuator cap attached to the actuator, the actuator cap configured to allow the power connection to pass through; a valve collar with an integrated press-on connector, wherein the valve collar comprises an electronic feedthrough passage for the power connection; and a retainer portion comprising two retainer pins, wherein the two retainer pins are configured to mate with apertures on the actuator cap, the retainer portion configured to allow electrical connection between the power connector and a sensor connector when the two retainer pins fit within the two apertures on the actuator cap.

The present application relates to a pipetting device and a pipetting method for pipetting, therefore for aspirating and/or dispensing, a metered liquid using a working gas, independently of the flow- and/or wetting characteristics of the metered liquid, wherein a pipetting channel comprises a first working region, of which the known base temperature is in a lower base temperature range, and a second working region, of which the known working temperature is in a working temperature range that is increased with respect to the base temperature range.

An abnormality is detected with high accuracy at the time of pipetting a liquid to be subjected to abnormality detection.

The automatic analysis device according to the present disclosure includes a pipetting nozzle configured to pipette a fluid, a pressure source configured to generate pressure fluctuation for pipetting the fluid by the pipetting nozzle, a flow path connecting the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source, a pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure in the flow path when the pipetting nozzle pipettes the fluid, a storage unit configured to store time-series data of the pressure measured by the pressure sensor, and a control unit configured to control the driving of the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source, in which the control unit controls the pipetting nozzle and the pressure source to aspirate first air gap, a first liquid, second air gap, and a second liquid in this order into the pipetting nozzle and determines at least one of the aspiration amount of the first air gap and the aspiration amount of the second air gap based on the aspiration amount of the first liquid.

Systems and methods are described for indirect detection of a missed sample from an autosampler. A method embodiment includes, but is not limited to, drawing a fluid through operation of an autosampler; directing the fluid via a fluid line to a valve of a fluid handling system, the valve including or being adjacent to a sensor to detect a presence or absence of liquid sample; directing the fluid from the valve into a holding line coupled to the valve; determining whether a threshold amount of liquid sample is present in the fluid in the holding line; and when it is determined that liquid sample is present in the fluid in the holding line in an amount less than the threshold amount, transferring a carrier fluid having a marker component to an analytic detector, the marker component present in the carrier fluid in an amount indicative of a missed sample.

A smear system includes smear preparing apparatus that prepares a smear slide and a smear transporting apparatus that transports the smear slide to a smear-image capture apparatus. The smear preparing apparatus includes: a smear preparation part that smeares a sample on a slide; and a smear arrangement part that places smear slides in a smear container. The smear transporting apparatus includes: a smear-container transport part that transports the smear container with the smear slides; an identification-information acquisition part that acquires identification information on whether image capturing by the smear-image capture apparatus is necessary, from each of the smear slides accommodated in the smear container positioned on a transport path of the smear-container transport part; and a smear transfer part that transfers the smear slide whose image is to be captured to the smear-image capture apparatus on the basis of the identification information acquired by the identification-information acquisition part.

An automatic liquid transfer optimization pipetting apparatus and method is disclosed. Namely, a liquid handling apparatus includes a pump supplying a nozzle (i.e., a pipette tip) via a conduit, one or more pressure sensors, and an electronic controller, and wherein the pipette tip is submerged in a liquid. Further, a method of automatic liquid transfer optimization pipetting includes the steps of actuating the pump to move a designated volume of liquid and then allowing the system to settle to a steady state after completion of pump actuation.

A dosing device is proposed which is designed for dosed output of a fluid. The dosing device has a block-shaped channel body, through which a dosing channel system passes. The dosing channel system has a fluid infeed opening and a plurality of fluid output openings. The fluid output openings are formed by the channel apertures of narrowed output sections of a plurality of output channels of the dosing channel system. The entire dosing channel system, including the output channels, is formed in the block-shaped channel body. The dosing channel system is preferably structured such that the flow velocity of the fluid channelled through during operation is at least substantially the same throughout with the exception of in the output sections of the output channels.

[Problem to be solved] To provide a method for analyzing amino acids capable of easily analyzing D/L-amino acids in a sample with high reproducibility, particularly a simultaneous analytical method for L-amino acids and D-amino acids constituting a protein.

[Solution] A method for analyzing amino acids by liquid chromatography, in which a sample containing a plurality of kinds of amino acids is derivatized with a derivatization reagent, and the obtained derivatized sample is circulated on a column together with a mobile phase, wherein the mobile phase is composed of a plurality of mobile phases, and at least one mobile phase is a mixed solvent system, wherein two or more kinds of derivatized samples are prepared using two or more kinds of derivatization reagents, wherein different analytical conditions in which mixing ratio of the plurality of the mobile phases is changed with a passage of time are set for each kind of the derivatization reagent, and a solvent mixing ratio in the mobile phase being the mixed solvent system is set for the each kind of the derivatization reagent, and wherein the two or more kinds of derivatized samples are analyzed by automatically switching between the different analytical conditions and the solvent mixing ratio to separate and quantify derivatized L-amino acids and derivatized D-amino acids.

The present invention relates to a method and a system (400) for filling a closed container (200) with a fixative solution. The system comprises a container (200) comprising a container body (230) for receiving a biological specimen, a lid (220) for selectively closing the container body (230) and a port (100) forming a unidirectional barrier in a direction from the inside (IC) to the outside (OC) of the closed container (200). The system further comprises a dispensing apparatus (500) having a filling nozzle (300) for dispensing the fixative solution. The filling nozzle (300) is relatively moveable with respect to the container (200) between a retracted position and a filling position to fill the container (200) with the fixative solution.

Systems and methods for positive dispense verification are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system has a plurality of light emitters. The light from the emitters is directed toward a plurality of light detectors across a proximately horizontal plane. The liquid dispense device is positioned above the horizontal plane of light emission from the plurality of light emitters to the plurality of light detectors such that the dispensed liquid will travel through the horizontal plane defined by the emitted light and onto the container being inoculated. Each of the plurality of detectors is coupled to an amplifier. The amplifier generates a signal in response to an interrupt in the transmission of light from the light emitters to the light detectors when the light path is disrupted by the dispense of liquid confirming the liquid was dispensed onto the container.