Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an automatic pipetting system for transferring liquid from dispensing vessels into at least one receiving vessel. In one example embodiment, the system includes a movable pipettor moveable along an x-direction. The pipettor including an arm including two beams and a base structure, and at least one pipetting module. The base structure is movable in the x-direction, and is coupled to the two beams. The two beams oriented parallel to one another and project horizontally in the y-direction. The at least one pipetting module is moveable along each of the two beams in a y-direction and includes at least one hollow needle lowerable in to the dispensing vessels and the receiving vessels. Wherein the at least one pipetting modules move independently past one another on mutually facing longitudinal sides of said beams.

Automated pipetting systems and methods are disclosed for aspirating and dispensing fluids, particularly biological samples. In one aspect, a liquid dispenser includes a manifold and one or more pipette channels. The manifold includes a vacuum channel, a pressure channel, and a plurality of lanes. Each lane includes an electrical connector, a port to the pressure channel, and a port to the vacuum channel. The pipette channels can be modular. Each pipette channel includes a single dispense head and can be selectively and independently coupled to any one lane of the plurality of lanes. In some aspects, a valve in the pipette channel is in simultaneous fluid communication with a pressure port and a vacuum port of the manifold. The valve selectively diverts gas under pressure and gas under vacuum to the dispense head in response to control signals received through the electrical connector of the manifold.

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a multi-channel pipettor, comprising: creating an access plan having a plurality of transfer blocks, each comprising a source access and a destination access, wherein the creating includes: reading of position lists which contain the positions of all source and destination containers and assigning source containers to destination containers; performing a transfer analysis in which the source or destination accesses and the movements of the pipetting head and/or the container holders are determined by forming the difference between the current channel position and the source position or the destination position on the two-dimensional plane; and performing a transfer optimization, whereby the source or destination accesses and the movements of the pipetting head respectively required for the source or destination accesses are sorted into the transfer blocks; and operating the multi-channel pipettor on the basis of the created access plan.

Automated pipetting systems and methods are disclosed for aspirating and dispensing fluids, particularly biological samples. In one aspect, a liquid dispenser includes a manifold and one or more pipette channels. The manifold includes a vacuum channel, a pressure channel, and a plurality of lanes. Each lane includes an electrical connector, a port to the pressure channel, and a port to the vacuum channel. The pipette channels can be modular. Each pipette channel includes a single dispense head and can be selectively and independently coupled to any one lane of the plurality of lanes. In some aspects, a valve in the pipette channel is in simultaneous fluid communication with a pressure port and a vacuum port of the manifold. The valve selectively diverts gas under pressure and gas under vacuum to the dispense head in response to control signals received through the electrical connector of the manifold.

The present disclosure is directed to a dispensing system for providing a preset small volume of liquid ≤200 μl into a filling area of a microfluidic sample carrier comprising at least one flow channel, the system including, inter alia, at least one interface unit provided for each flow channel of the microfluidic sample carrier, with each interface unit comprising an injector with an injection channel, wherein the cross section of an outlet part of the injection channel is larger than a cross section of an inlet part of the injection channel and of the middle part of the injection channel. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a respective microfluidic sample carrier sealing system and to a respective method of dispensing sealing liquid into a microfluidic sample carrier.

A sample analysis support apparatus includes a sample region in which a sample is to be disposed, a tip region in which a tip is to be disposed, a first operation unit capable of an operation on the sample using the tip, the tip being attachable to and detachable from the first operation unit, a second operation unit capable of an operation on the sample using the tip, the tip being attachable to and detachable from the second operation unit, a transport unit configured to support each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit moveably between the tip region and the sample region, and a movement controller capable of controlling the transport unit to move each of the first operation unit and the second operation unit between the tip region and the sample region.

A liquid chromatography system includes a solvent delivery system, a sample manager including a sample delivery system in fluidic communication with the solvent delivery system, the sample delivery system configured to inject a sample from a sample-vial into a chromatographic flow stream, a liquid chromatography column located downstream from the sample delivery system, and a detector located downstream from the liquid chromatography column. The sample delivery system further includes a first needle drive including a first sample needle configured to extract the sample from the sample-vial and deliver the sample to the liquid chromatography column, and a first syringe in communication with the first sample needle configured to meter extraction of the sample from the sample-vial. The sample manager further includes a sample automation system that includes a second needle drive including a second sample needle configured to add a volume of reagent to the sample-vial.

An insert mounted in a mixing cup and used by an automated chemical analyzer for removing a targeted component of a liquid sample includes a porous matrix formed of or carrying in an immobilized state functionalized particles having properties such that the targeted component of the liquid sample adheres to the functionalized particles. When the liquid sample is expelled from a disposable tip fitted on the end of a pipette forming part of the automated chemical analyzer into the mixing cup, the liquid sample is drawn into the matrix of the insert by capillary action, whereupon the targeted component of the liquid sample adheres to the immobilized functionalized particles of the matrix.

Systems and methods are provided for sample processing. A device may be provided, capable of receiving the sample, and performing one or more of a sample preparation, sample assay, and detection step. The device may be capable of performing multiple assays. The device may comprise one or more modules that may be capable of performing one or more of a sample preparation, sample assay, and detection step. The device may be capable of performing the steps using a small volume of sample.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method and/or a device for carrying out chemical, biochemical and/or immunochemical analyses of liquid samples, which are present in a sample store of an automatic analyzer, with the aid of liquid reagents which are present in at least one reagent store of the analyzer, with cuvettes for receiving the liquid samples and reagents, wherein a plurality of cuvettes is arranged as at least one stationary, linear cuvette array in the analyzer. The analyzer has movable and stationary automated components, wherein at least two automated components are designed so as to be movable in the x-direction independently of one another along or parallel to the line of movement defined by the linear cuvette array and each have access to different cuvettes or groups of cuvettes in a freely selectable sequence.