A scanning apparatus that can include (a) a scan actuator including a linear actuator and a mount for a removeable vessel, wherein the mount has a mechanical fastener that is configured to engage a complementary mechanical fastener on the removeable vessel, and wherein the linear actuator is configured to translate the mount while the mechanical fastener engages the complementary mechanical fastener on the removeable vessel; (b) a reference surface; and (c) a preload configured to urge the vessel to contact the reference surface, wherein the linear actuator is configured to slide the vessel along the reference surface while the preload urges the vessel to contact the reference surface.

The gripping mechanism is a gripping mechanism for gripping a cuvette T, the gripping mechanism comprising: a sandwiching section 50 for holding the cuvette T in a laterally sandwiching manner; a pressing section 60 for pressing downward an upper end surface of the cuvette T held in a sandwiching manner by the sandwiching section 50, wherein the pressing section 60 is arranged such that, with the cuvette T being held in a sandwiching manner by the sandwiching section 50, a central axis of the cuvette T along a vertical direction coincides mutually with a central axis of the pressing section 60 in the vertical direction.

Example automated storage modules for analyzer liquids are described herein. An example apparatus includes a refrigerated storage module having a plurality of shelves (to store a plurality of carriers) and a loading bay having an array of slots to receive one or more of the carriers. The loading bay is accessible by a user for manual loading or unloading of the carriers. The example apparatus includes a first carrier transporter coupled to the storage module to transfer the carriers between the shelves and a first transfer location and a second carrier transporter movable along a track connecting the storage module to an automated diagnostic analyzer. The second carrier transporter is to transfer a first carrier between the first transfer location and a slot in the loading bay and a second carrier between the first transfer location and a second transfer location accessible by the automated diagnostic analyzer.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for transferring specimen containers between detection instruments. The method may include transporting a specimen container in a locator well to a container transfer station in a first automated detection apparatus; sensing the specimen container at the container transfer station using a first sensor; transferring the specimen container from the container transfer station of the first automated microbial detection apparatus to an automated loading mechanism of a second automated microbial detection apparatus; detecting that the specimen container is positioned over the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus using a second sensor; and releasing the specimen container onto the automated loading mechanism of the second automated microbial detection apparatus.

An automatic analyzing apparatus comprises a reaction disk on which a reaction tube is placed, a reaction tube transportation mechanism that transports the reaction tube, a controller that controls the reaction tube transportation mechanism to transport the reaction tube to at least one of a sample dispensing position and a reagent dispensing position, the sample dispensing position being a position where a sample is dispensed and the reagent dispensing position being a position where a reagent is dispensed, and transport to the reaction disk the reaction tube for which at least one of the sample and the reagent is dispensed.

Device (1) for the storage and selection of cartridges (20) that are pre-filled with reactive discs to be placed on a support of the type comprising a plurality of magazines (2) each able to store a cartridge (20) of discs, at least one magazine-holding support (3) and, for each support (3), drive means (4) for moving the magazine-holding support (3). The device (1) comprises a chamber (5) configured to house at least one magazine-holding support (3), said chamber (5) being fitted with a cooler (6) and provided with at least one placement opening (7) facing which the drive means (4) for rotating a magazine-holding support (3) are configured to position at least one magazine (2) of said support (3) in what is referred to as the placement configuration of said magazine (2), and the device (1) comprises a drive mechanism (8) driving the movement of the magazine (2) in the placement configuration between a position in which said magazine (2) is distant from and a position in which same is closer to the placement opening (7) of the chamber (5).

An analyzer is disclosed. The analyzer comprises a rack slot configured to receive at least one rack, wherein the rack slot comprises a front end, at which the rack is manually loadable into the rack slot, and a rear end, which is opposite to the front end and at which the rack is fully receivable in the rack slot, and a spring device arranged at the rear end, wherein the spring device is configured to provide a biasing force towards the front end, wherein the biasing force is adapted to move the rack towards the front end if not fully received in the rack slot, wherein the spring device is configured to fix the rack in a final position if the rack is fully received in the rack slot. Further, a method for loading a rack into a rack slot of an analyzer and a system comprising an analyzer and a computer controller are disclosed.

An apparatus and method are described for the automated management of bacterial load detector devices to be temporarily positioned inside a clean room, delimited by walls, at least one of which is provided with at least one access aperture on which a primary closing unit is installed, configured to allow access to the inside of the chamber while keeping its atmosphere isolated and separated from the external environment. The apparatus includes a transport container, containing inside it an extractable housing slider on which one or more bacterial load detector devices are positioned, an extraction device configured to extract the slider from the transport container and make it available inside the chamber, and a support device disposed inside the chamber configured to stably position and support the slider.

A loading device for loading a reagent rotor of an analytical instrument with reagent vessels is disclosed. The loading device comprises a tray to receive reagent vessels. The tray moves within a first plane at least between a loading position, at which the tray is loadable with the reagent vessels, and an unloading position, at which the reagent vessels are unloadable from the tray. The loading device also comprises a transporting device for transporting the reagent vessels from the tray to the reagent rotor of the analytical instrument. The tray is formed such that the transporting device is linearly moveable within a second plane from the unloading position of the tray to the reagent rotor and/or from the reagent rotor to the unloading position of the tray. The first plane and the second plane are different from one another. The tray is formed as a circular ring segment.

A measurement system according to one or more embodiments may include a measurement unit that measures a sample contained in a sample container; a transport unit including a first transporter that transports a rack holding sample containers in a longitudinal direction of the rack to the measurement unit, and a second transporter that transports the rack from the measurement unit; and a rack export-import unit that sets racks thereon, that is capable of transferring each of the set racks in a lateral direction of the rack, that exports the rack to the first transporter from one end side of the rack export-import unit, and that imports the rack transported by the second transporter from another end side of the rack export-import unit. The rack export-import unit includes a transfer prevention section that prevents the rack imported from the other end side from being transferred from the one end side.