An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic analyzer that can reduce manual work by an operator. The present invention provides an automatic analyzer that includes a drive mechanism that is driven to use a specimen or reagent stored in a storage member, a controller that controls the drive mechanism, and a communication unit that communicates with a work support device that performs work support to support work of loading and/or unloading the storage member. The controller controls the drive mechanism to perform a preparation operation for the work and controls the communication unit to transmit an instruction signal for the work support to the work support device.

A laboratory system including a plurality of lab workstations distributed in a lab where each of the plurality of lab workstations is configured to run jobs of a work process, at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle that holds a sample holder, and a controller connected to the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle. The controller is configured to receive operational job data characterizing each of a number of different jobs that define the work process, receive system data from one or more of the plurality of lab workstations and the at least one auto-navigating robot processing vehicle, and based on the operational job data and the system data, schedule and coordinate each of the number of different jobs that define the work process.

A specimen transport apparatus capable of reading a specimen identifier is provided, by which an increase in the size of an apparatus and a decrease in processing ability are suppressed. In a specimen transport apparatus including: a specimen holder that holds a specimen container to which a specimen identifier is attached and that is provided with a transport magnetic body; and a plurality of electromagnets that are arranged under a transport surface to transport the specimen holder by attracting or repelling the transport magnetic body, a magnetic flux center of the transport magnetic body is eccentric with respect to a central axis of the specimen container.

A system and method for automatic closure of sample vessels such as vessels with medical laboratory samples, having a plurality of identically shaped, stackable closure caps with a convex outer face and concave inner face that are stacked in a closure cap stack such that an upper closure cap in the stack bears with its convex outer face on the concave inner face of a lower closure cap lying immediately below in the stack. The system includes a closure gripper for gripping an uppermost closure cap from the stack, for transferring the gripped closure cap to the sample vessel to be closed, and for introducing the gripped closure cap into an opening of the sample vessel in order to tightly close the opening. The closure gripper has a centering piece insertable into a closure cap such that it bears on the concave inner face of the closure cap.

A conveying device detects an abnormality due to a change in the surface state of the conveying plane. The conveying device has a conveying plane for conveying thereabove a conveying container equipped with a magnetic body, a position detection unit for detecting the position of the conveying container above the conveying plane, a magnetic pole disposed below the conveying plane and equipped with a core and a coil, a drive unit for applying a voltage to the magnetic pole, and a calculation unit for controlling the drive unit. The calculation unit calculates the conveying speed of the conveying container on the basis of the position of the conveying container above the conveying plane and the time at which the conveying container passes through the position, and detects the surface state of the conveying plane on the basis of the calculated conveying speed of the conveying container.

Systems and methods are provided for processing a biological sample. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a sample vessel containing the sample; retrieving information from an information storage unit associated with the sample; using said information for selecting at least one cartridge front at least two or more different cartridges, each configured for use with a sample processing device; loading at least one or more reagents onto the cartridge, wherein the one or more reagents to be added are selected based at least in part on the information or instructions derived from the information; and placing the sample vessel in the cartridge.

The conveying system includes a support guide element defining a guide track, the support guide element being configured to receive a containers support and guide said containers support in translation along the guide track; and a self-propelled conveying carriage displaceable along a conveying track extending along the support guide element, the self-propelled conveying carriage comprising a drive element movably mounted between at least one drive position in which the drive element is configured to transmit a drive movement to the containers support so received on the support guide element, and a release position in which the drive element is configured to release the containers support, the self-propelled conveying carriage being configured to displace the containers support in translation along the guide track when the drive element is in the drive position and the self-propelled conveying carriage is displaced along the conveying track.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

A sample container carrier, a laboratory sample distribution system comprising such a sample container carrier and a laboratory automation system comprising such a laboratory sample distribution system are presented.

A method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system is presented. The system comprises container carriers, a gateway having a network interface, and transport modules. Each module comprises a transport surface and are adjacent in a row-direction and column-direction to form a transport surface. The module comprises a driver arranged below the transport surface to move container carriers on the transport surface and left, right, upper and lower network interfaces. The left and right network interfaces connect modules in rows and the upper and lower network interfaces connect modules in columns. The network interface of the gateway is connected to a network interface of a first module. The method comprises sending an explore command from the gateway to the first module, propagating an initialization command from the first module to the remaining modules, storing addresses within the modules, and using the addresses by the gateway to address the modules.