A rotor comprises a support intended to be mounted rotatable around a rotation axis in a centrifuge enclosure. The support having at least one housing for receiving the sample. At least one electrically powered sensor held by the support, configured to measure a property of the sample. A contactless power receiver, configured to receive electrical power without contact from a contactless power transmitter, the contactless power receiver being carried by the support and being jointly rotatable with the support, the contactless power receiver being electrically connected to the at least one sensor to electrically power the at least one sensor during a rotation of the support.

A method of automatically distinguishing absorption or non-absorption of whole blood or blood plasma by using a reflective photosensor in an automatic immunoassay device including a round cartridge which may simultaneously perform the centrifugation and automatic analysis of a blood sample and a tip which may be moved up, down, left and right based on the round cartridge, the method includes: installing the reflective photosensor below the round cartridge; mounting the tip above the round cartridge, and continuously measuring blood non-absorption data in a range including a position where the blood is absorbed by using the reflective photosensor, collecting the measured data and storing the collected data while the tip is raised; continuously measuring blood absorption data by using the reflective photosensor while the tip is lowered and absorbs the blood present in the range including the position where the blood is absorbed from the round cartridge; and determining whether a type of the blood is whole blood or blood plasma, or whether the whole blood or the blood plasma is not absorbed by comparing the blood non-absorption data with the blood absorption data.

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for processing a biological sample. Exemplary methods comprise transferring a swab associated with an aliquot of the biological sample into a wash liquid, wherein a first portion of the aliquot is released into the wash liquid; and transferring the swab into a carrier liquid, wherein a second portion of the aliquot is released into the carrier liquid. The methods can provide efficient transfer of analyte such as cells or nucleic acid into the carrier liquid while releasing particulate matter, viscous polymers, or other undesired material into the wash liquid. Alternatively or in addition, the methods can also release desired material into the wash liquid, e.g., cells, which can be used in applications such as culturing.

The present invention provides systems, devices, and methods for point-of-care and/or distributed testing services. The methods and devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device can be modified to allow for more flexible and robust use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical, laboratory, and other applications. The systems, devices, and methods of the present invention can allow for effective use of samples by improved sample preparation and analysis.

A separation container for extracting a portion of a sample for use or testing and method for preparing samples for downstream use or testing are provided. The separation container may include a body defining an internal chamber. The body may define an opening, and the body may be configured to receive the sample within the internal chamber. The separation container may further include a seal disposed across the opening, such that the seal may be configured to seal the opening of the body, and a plunger movably disposed at least partially inside the internal chamber. The plunger may be configured to be actuated to open the seal and express the portion of the sample.

A specimen processing system includes a plate for supporting a specimen system, wherein the specimen system includes a container and a specimen contained therein. The specimen processing system further includes a camera disposed above the plate and configured to generate images of the specimen system, a light source disposed beneath the plate for radiating light towards the plate, a light stop for blocking a portion of the light from reaching the specimen system to produce darkfield illumination of the specimen at the camera, and one or more processors electronically coupled to the camera and configured to track a position of the specimen within the specimen container during a specimen processing protocol based on the images.

In one embodiment, a sampling device includes: an elongated tubular body having a longitudinal axis and a hollow interior enclosed at a top longitudinal end and a bottom longitudinal end of the body and a particulate matter. One or more mesh bags are disposed in the interior of the body and configured to contain the particulate matter inside a first mesh bag. The first mesh bag is an innermost mesh bag contained inside one or more outer mesh bags in a nested configuration when two or more mesh bags are disposed in the interior of the body. The body includes a plurality of body openings or one half lateral side of the body and no body openings on an opposite half lateral side of the body.

Disclosed are methods, materials and devices for approximation of blood volume in a fluid, such as in a biological fluid collected during a surgical procedure. The method and devices include the use of a RBC flocculant, such as polyDADMAC, and an approximate blood hematocrit for the type of animal, as well as a calculated RBC packing ratio corresponding to the collection device being used. Also provided is a Blood Indicator Panel (BIP), comprising a series of markings calculated from an observed red blood settlement volume, the average animal type hematocrit, and a calculated RBC packing ratio “η” value for the collection device. Pediatric (about 200 ml or 250 ml size container), adult human (about 1,000 ml-1,500 ml) and veterinary (about 500 ml-2,500 ml) collection containers are also disclosed, that include a RBC flocculant, for use in approximating blood volume in a fluid.

A pretreatment apparatus includes a sample dispensing part 240, a reagent dispensing part 280 for dispensing a labeling reagent, a first process part 210 having a centrifuge device for performing a centrifugation process, a second process part 220, and a control part for distributing the dispensing destination of the sample to either the first sample container 217 or the second sample container 227 according to whether centrifugation process is required for the sample.

The teachings herein provide for a method of analyzing testosterone using mass spectrometry. The method entails combining in a vial or well, a tagging reagent that is reactive with testosterone, an aqueous precipitation agent that precipitate proteins from solution, and an internal standard solution, the internal standard solution containing a known concentration of an isotopically enriched testosterone and then adding to the vial or well, a sample containing or suspected to contain testosterone. The vial can then be mixed to cause simultaneous precipitation of proteins and reaction of any testosterone present with the tagging reagent to form a mixture of a precipitate and a liquid solution. The liquid solution can then be separated from any precipitate and then analyzed for testosterone using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.