A laboratory system and a method for controlling a laboratory system comprises multiple subsystems; each subsystem being configured to receive and carry out a command; and a master control device configured to process command groups and/or command(s) within the same command group simultaneously; to process command groups and/or command(s) of different command groups sequentially; and within a command group, to process command group(s) and/or command(s) grouped into a command group before processing other commands command group(s) and/or command(s).

An instrument for processing a biological sample includes a chassis. Connected to the chassis is a tape path along which a tape with a matrix of wells can be automatically advanced through the instrument, a dispensing assembly for dispensing the biological sample and a reagent into the matrix of wells of the tape to form a biological sample and reagent mixture, a sealing assembly for sealing the biological sample and reagent mixture in the tape, and an amplification and detection assembly for detecting a signal from the biological sample and reagent mixture in the matrix of wells in the tape.

The invention provides a small-sized automatic analyzer being compact, enabling a large number of analysis items to be carried out, and having a high processing speed. The automatic analyzer is particularly suitably applied to a medical analyzer used for qualitative/quantitative analysis of living body samples, such as urine and blood. A plurality of sample dispensing mechanism s capable of being operated independently of each other are provided to suck a sample from any one of a plurality of sample suction positions and to discharge the sucked sample to any one of a plurality of positions on a reaction disk. The automatic analyzer having a high processing capability can be thus realized without increasing the system size.

A method and system for automatic in-vitro diagnostic analysis are described. The method includes adding a first reagent type and a second reagent type to a first test liquid during a first and second cycle times respectively. The addition of the first reagent type to the first test liquid includes parallel addition of a second reagent type to a second test liquid during the first cycle time. The addition of the second reagent type to the first test liquid includes parallel addition of a first reagent type to a third test liquid during the second cycle time, respectively.

A positioning system (1) that has a system main part (4), on which multiple working units (6) are arranged next to one another in the axial direction of a y-axis, said working units being linearly movable, thereby carrying out a working movement (8) in the axial direction of a z-axis. Each working unit (6) is paired with a dedicated drive unit (7) in order to be actuated, said drive unit having a stator (23) attached to the system main part (4) and an output element (24) drivingly connected to the working unit (6) via a coupling section (26). The stators (23) are distributed into multiple stator rows (58) which are aligned in the axial direction of the y-axis and are arranged one behind the other in the axial direction of the x-axis, wherein the stators (23) of each pair of adjacent stator rows (58) are offset to one another with a mutual overlap in the axial direction of the y-axis.

An automatic assaying system having a multiplex pipette cartridge section in which pipette cartridges are docked. At least one pipette cartridge has a different pipetting characteristic from another corresponding pipette cartridge, the different pipetting characteristic being selectable from a number of different pipetting characteristics. A multiplexing work item holder has an array of work item holder docks that dock corresponding work item holders selectable from pipette trays and pipette tip set racks that define the selectable different pipetting characteristic. One or more of the work item holder docks are indexed to selectably multiplex both the different interchangeable pipette trays and the at least one pipette set rack. A carrier moves the pipette cartridge or a work item holder carriage and a controller selects the at least one pipette tip set rack corresponding to a work item holder dock so as to effect automatic selection of the different pipetting characteristic.

A manipulation apparatus and a manipulation method for performing culturing, manipulation, and analysis of minute samples such as cells and microbes on a large scale, the manipulation apparatus including a stage unit on which a predetermined cell incubator is mounted and a probe array unit having a plurality of probes. The probe array unit includes a first probe array and a second probe array. The first probe array includes a plurality of probes arranged side by side at a predetermined pitch along the X-axis direction. The second probe array includes a plurality of probes arranged side by side at a predetermined pitch along the Y-axis direction.

A detection method according to one or more embodiments may include transporting a rack holding a reaction vessel along a first axis toward a sample dispensing position, linearly moving the sample dispensing pipette above the rack along a second axis intersecting the first axis and dispensing a sample into the reaction vessel located at the sample dispensing position, transporting the rack along the first axis toward a reagent dispensing position; linearly moving a reagent dispensing pipette above the rack along a third axis intersecting the first axis, and dispensing a reagent into the reaction vessel located at the reagent dispensing position, and detecting a detection target in a measurement specimen prepared from the sample and the reagent.

A linear actuator (10) for use in a modular assembly of such actuators comprises an actuator body (11), a shaft (12) guided by the body to be displaceable relative thereto in the sense of tlte longitudinal axis (13) of the shaft and a drive motor enclosed in the body and operable to axially displace the shaft relative to the body in two mutually opposite directions. The body has two mutually opposite sides (15a, 15b) respectively lying in two substantial parallel spaced-apart planes, which each represent a reference plane for positioning the body side-by-side with the body of another such actuator, and a further side (17b) connecting the two mutually opposite sides and stepped to form a projection (18) receiving the shaft (12) with the axis (13) parallel to the two planes and a rebate (19) beside the projection to permit the body to interlock with the body of another such actuator at that further side. The projection (18) and rebate (19) are of substantially the same width in the sense of the spacing of the two planes and the shaft (12) is disposed substantially centrally of the projection (18) so that when the body (11) is interlocked with that of another such actuator the pitch of the shaft axes (13) is equal to that width.

Various embodiments include a system having a pipetting chamber, a set of pipettor cartridges docked in the pipetting chamber, a gantry system mounted on a ceiling within the pipetting chamber, the gantry system including at least one stationary track aligned in a first direction, and a movable track aligned in a second direction distinct from the first direction, the movable track coupled to the at least one stationary track, and a carrier configured to transport each of the set of pipettor cartridges to a pipetting location within the pipetting chamber, the carrier configured to move each pipettor cartridge in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions.