A wash system for use in an in vitro diagnostic immunoanalyzer utilizes a bridge having a linear track to move cuvettes from one incubation ring portion to another incubation ring portion. Washing stations along the linear track provide a magnetic field and fluid washing of cuvette contents independent of the size and motion of one or more incubation rings.

An automated analyzer has a reaction disk on which a plurality of reaction vessels capable of holding sample and reagent mixtures can be placed, a first cover for covering at least a portion of the area above the reaction disk, a second cover that can be opened and closed independently from the first cover, at least one sensor for monitoring the opening and closing of the first cover, and a control unit for monitoring a signal from the sensor and carrying out control such that if the first cover has not been opened and closed during the period until a new analysis operation is started, a pre-analysis cleaning operation, blank measurement operation, or both, are skipped.

The present invention relates to a sample processing system and method for automatically processing at least one of a histological, a pathological, a medical, a biological, a veterinary and an agricultural sample. The sample can be positioned in a container assembly that can be closed after depositing the sample therein and can be opened, particularly upon arrival to a laboratory equipped with a system according to the present invention. The system can comprise an imaging section that is configured to capture images of the container assembly and/or the sample; an opening section configured to automatically open the container assembly and to remove at least the sample or a plurality of samples from the container assembly or of different compartments in the container; a cassette-handling section configured to support the sample for further handling; and an output section configured to provide the sample for further examination. All steps can be automated, and a handover can be controlled centrally and/or locally. The sample processing system according to the preceding embodiment can further comprise the container assembly with a preserving, conserving, fixating and/or nurturing fluid. The fluid can be a liquid and/or gas and/or ambient air, depending on the needs. The system can further comprise a fluid-handling section that is configured to automatically remove the fluid from the container assembly and can be further configured to perform at least one of handling and disposing of the fluid.

The present invention provides a method for removing liquid from the interior of a flow channel tip, which enables both to reduce the amount of liquid remaining and prevent the time spent removing the liquid from being longer than necessary. The method comprises: suctioning a liquid within a flow channel, the liquid being suctioned into the interior of a liquid suction implement inserted into a first through-hole of a flow channel tip; and removing the liquid within the flow channel. This method comprises: a first suction step for suctioning some of the liquid within the flow channel at a first suction speed; and a second suction step for suctioning the liquid remaining within the flow channel at a second suction speed that is less than the first suction speed, the second suction step being performed in continuation from the first suction step.

A fully automated chemilumiescence immunoassay analyzer, including a sample and reagent receiving device for receiving a sample and a reagent, a dispensing device for aspirating and discharging the sample and the reagent, a mixing device for mixing the sample and the reagent in a reaction vessel, an incubation and luminescence detection device for incubation and luminescence detection, a magnetic separation cleaning device for separation cleaning an analyte and impurities in the reaction vessel, a reaction vessel grasping device for transferring the reaction vessel, and a liquid path device. The fully automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer has a simple structure and is convenient to operate, and also reduce the overall size such that the footprint thereof is small and the production cost is reduced, so that the analyzer is easy to achieve miniaturization, and is convenient for an operator to use.

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.

A method for performing a magnetic separation procedure that includes transporting a receptacle containing a fluid medium to a first location of a system, where the fluid medium contains both a sample material and a suspension of magnetically-responsive solid supports. At the first location, the fluid medium is exposed to a first magnetic field for a first dwell period, thereby isolating the solid supports within the receptacle, where no portion of the fluid medium is removed from the receptacle at the first location. The receptacle is then transported from the first location to a second location of the system, where the fluid medium is exposed to a second magnetic field for a second dwell period. Following the second dwell period, at least a portion of the fluid medium is removed from the receptacle. A suspension fluid is then dispensed into the receptacle, and the contents of the receptacle are agitated to suspend the solid supports within the suspension fluid.

Provided is an automated analysis device with which sufficient reaction process data can be acquired irrespective of the scale of the device, and with which it is possible to ensure freedom of the device configuration. An automated analysis device 100 is provided with: a reaction disk 1 which circumferentially accommodates a plurality of reaction vessels 2; a specimen dispensing mechanism 11 which dispenses a specimen into the reaction vessels 2; a reagent dispensing mechanism 7 which dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessels 2; a measuring unit 4 which measures a reaction process of a mixture of the specimen and the reagent in the reaction vessels 2; and a cleaning mechanism 3 which cleans the reaction vessels 2 after measurement. Further, the automated analysis device 100 includes a controller 21 which controls the drive of the reaction disk 1 such that in one cycle the reaction vessels 2 move by an amount A in the circumferential direction in such a way that N and A are mutually prime, B and C are mutually prime, and the relationship AB=NC1 holds, where N is the total number of reaction vessels 2 accommodated in the reaction disk 1, the reaction disk 1 moves through C (where C>1) rotations+an amount equivalent to one reaction vessel after B (where B>2) cycles, and the number of reaction vessels 2 moved in one cycle is A (where N>A>N/B+1).

An automatic analysis apparatus of an embodiment includes a holder, a first dispenser, a second dispenser, a detector, a memory, and processing circuitry. The holder movably holds a plurality of reaction vessels. The first dispenser dispenses an analyte into each of the reaction vessels. The second dispenser dispenses a reagent into the reaction vessel. The detector detects light transmitted through the reaction vessel. The memory stores a test order. The processing circuitry controls the holder, the first dispenser, and the second dispenser based on the test order. The processing circuitry determines one of the reaction vessels to be used for measuring the analyte based on the test order, and performs control to collect characteristic data from another of the reaction vessels not used for measuring the analyte while the analyte is measured.

Please substitute the new Abstract submitted herewith for the original Abstract: The present invention reduces the turnaround time of an automated analyzer. During a period when cyclic measurement by a measurement unit is unnecessary, a controller washes a reaction vessel using a washing cycle having a cycle time shorter than that of an analysis cycle. A single analysis cycle and a single washing cycle both include a reaction disc stopping period and rotation period. In the washing cycle, there is no time during the stopping period when a sample dispensing mechanism, reagent dispensing mechanism, or stirring mechanism operates but there is a time when a washing mechanism operates. The washing cycle stopping period is shorter than the analysis cycle stopping period. The amount of rotation of the reaction disk in the analysis cycle rotation period is the same as the amount of rotation of the reaction disk in the washing cycle rotation period.