An automatic analyzer for making measurements for different analysis processes by a compact mechanism. The apparatus performs inspection for plural different analysis processes and includes: an incubator for holding plural reaction vessels on circumferential positions, first and second dispensing mechanisms each having a dispensing nozzle capable of arc-shaped movement around a rotational axis and vertical movement, in which a first locus of an arc-shaped movement of the dispensing nozzle of the first dispensing mechanism and a second locus of the arc-shaped movement of the dispensing nozzle of the second dispensing mechanism intersect the circumference of the incubator where the reaction vessels are arranged, while the first locus and the second locus do not intersect, the first dispensing mechanism is used in a first inspection having a first reaction period, and the second dispensing mechanism is used in a second inspection having a second reaction period longer than the first reaction period.

Embodiments are directed to transferring and opening reagent containers for use in a clinical analyzer in an in vitro diagnostics (IVD) environment. Contents of a reagent container may be automatically recorded, and the container is positioned and opened, making available its contents to a transfer probe. A set of mechanical fingers open and close relative to one another, to release and grip the reagent container on opposite sides thereof for transferring the container. Once the container is positioned, the mechanical fingers raise and are positioned above a seal concealing the contents of the reagent container. The fingers are configured to close together and travel in a downward trajectory to pierce the seal. The reagent container is originally presented as an un-opened package to prevent spillage and to control reagent life expectancy. According to an embodiment, a method of performing a cycle unload, transfer, and load, without operator intervention, is provided.

Provided is a technique capable of easily performing a microbial test with high accuracy. A microbial test kit of the present disclosure includes: a first syringe capable of collecting a specimen and having a first syringe needle; a second syringe containing an ATP extraction reagent and having a second syringe needle; a sealed reaction container having a first opening, a first sealing member fitted to the first opening, a nozzle, a nozzle cap covering the nozzle, and a filter disposed so as to partition the first opening and the nozzle; a waste liquid container including a second opening and a second sealing member fitted to the second opening, and sealed under reduced pressure; and a luminescence measurement container that includes a third opening and a third sealing member fitted to the third opening, stores a luminescent reagent that emits light in presence of ATP, and is sealed under reduced pressure.

The present invention relates to an immunoassay device and an immunoassay method.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an immunoassay device includes a measurement unit provided with a detection unit disposed at one side of a stage accommodating cartridges having a plurality of wells to move in a direction, in which the plurality of cartridges are arranged, and capable of measuring a state within the well disposed at the outermost side, and including a shielding plate that moves to cover an opened upper portion of the well disposed at the outermost side to block introduction of light into the well.

According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is an immunoassay device including: a control unit controlling relative movement of a stage, which accommodates a cartridge having a plurality of wells, and a solution transfer unit including a tip and the suction and discharge of a solution into/from the tip, wherein the solution transfer unit includes: a driving part providing a pressure for suctioning and discharging the solution into/from the tip; and a magnetic force applying part installed at one side of the tip to apply magnetic force toward the tip, wherein the control unit controls the driving part so that a magnitude of the magnetic force applied to the tip by the magnetic force applying part is adjusted to hold magnetic particles inside the tip after the solution containing the magnetic particles is suctioned into the tip.

A sampling system that includes a traverse, a sample aspiration module body, and a mechanical system. The sample aspiration module body is configured to travel along the traverse. The mechanical system is configured to move the traverse from a first position to a second position, wherein both the first position and the second position lie in the same plane.

A sample dilution method. The method comprises the following steps: moving from an initial workstation to a first workstation a ferrying unit bearing a first reactor containing a sample; distributing a diluent into the first reactor located at the first workstation; mixing the diluent and the sample in the first reactor to form a diluted sample; moving to a second workstation the ferrying unit bearing the first reactor containing the diluted sample, and distributing into at least two empty second reactors the diluted sample from the first reactor; moving to the first workstation the ferrying unit bearing all the second reactors containing a diluted sample, and distributing a reagent into the second reactors located at the first workstation; and mixing the reagent and the diluted sample in the second reactor.

Disclosed are an automated nucleic acid extraction method and device. The device includes a base body, a cassette, a driving unit, a moving frame and a syringe. The base body comprises a sample accommodating area, a column accommodating area, a cassette accommodating area and a collection tube being arranged in a linear direction. The cassette is arranged in the cassette accommodating area and includes two parallel walls and at least two vertical walls. The parallel walls and the vertical walls jointly form a lysis buffer well, at least one wash buffer well and an elution buffer well. Each vertical wall includes a load-bearing abutment. The driving unit and the moving frame are arranged on the base body. The syringe is arranged on the moving frame and is driven by the driving unit to reciprocate along with the moving frame in the linear direction.

An analyzer having an inner chassis surrounded by a housing includes sample and dilution probes, a mixing housing including first and second mixing chambers, a flow cytometer including a flow cell, and sample and sheath pumps configured to perform first and second pluralities of tasks, respectively. The first plurality of tasks includes: aspirating sample into the sample probe, dispensing sample from the sample probe into the first and second mixing chambers, delivering first sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell, and delivering second sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell. The second plurality of tasks includes: dispensing sheath to the flow cell in cooperation with the delivery of the first sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell, and dispensing sheath to the flow cell in cooperation with the delivery of the second sample-dilution fluid mixture to the flow cell.

Systems and methods are described for integrated sample container cover removal and sample probe positioning. In an example implementation, an autosampler system includes, but is not limited to, a z-axis support rotatable about a z-axis of an autosampler deck; a sample probe support structure coupled to the z-axis support, the sample probe support structure configured to hold a sample probe to withdraw a fluid-containing sample held within a sample container supported by the autosampler deck; and a sample cap remover coupled to the z-axis support in an orientation that is rotationally offset from the z-axis support with respect to the sample probe support structure, the sample cap remover configured to lift a cap from the sample container to provide access to an interior of the sample container by the sample probe supported by the sample probe support structure.