A holding portion includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion that respectively hold a first cassette holder and a second cassette holder, a chemical liquid bottle holding portion including a first chemical liquid bottle holding portion and a second chemical liquid bottle holding portion, and a paraffin-filled bottle holding portion including a first paraffin-filled bottle holding portion and a second paraffin-filled bottle holding portion. The first cassette holder is inserted into the chemical liquid bottle provided to the first chemical liquid bottle holding portion and the paraffin-filled bottle provided to the first paraffin-filled bottle holding portion. Furthermore, the second cassette holder is inserted into the chemical liquid bottle provided to the second chemical liquid bottle holding portion and the paraffin-filled bottle provided to the second paraffin-filled bottle holding portion.

A rolling cart configured at least for manual rolling across a facility floor to different locations of process stations with the rolling cart comprising a cart frame configured to traverse the cart, displacing the cart as a unit on and across the facility floor on which is disposed at least one of the process stations for processing laboratory samples and/or sample holders and a processing section with a number of different processing modules connected to and carried by the cart frame, each of the different processing modules having a different predetermined laboratory processing function with a different predetermined function characteristic corresponding to the processing module, each different processing module and corresponding predetermined function being automatically selectable in a predetermined sequence to effect automatically with the corresponding predetermined function, a predetermined series of preprocess or process conditions or steps of one or more of the laboratory samples and sample holders.

A laboratory sample container carrier cleaning apparatus is provided comprising a revolving device, being adapted to move a sample container carrier supplied to the revolving device along a circular path, and a cleaning device, being adapted to clean the sample container carrier being moved along the circular path.

An improved system and method for the selection and dispensing of reagents onto a target testing medium in an automated laboratory environment. The system utilizes multiple carousels rotatably-mounted upon a central turntable. The position of the central turntable, as well as the rotation of each carousel is controlled by a microprocessor-based control system. Multiple dispensers, each capable of storing and dispensing a particular reagent, are mounted about the circumference of each carousel. This configuration provides much higher reagent density than previously available. The testing medium is positioned at one or more loading stations. The control system directs the central turntable to a position from which a selected one of the carousels can be rotated so as to position a selected dispenser above the testing medium. The selected dispenser is then actuated to release a predetermined reagent onto the testing medium. The system can be configured so that multiple reagents can be dispensed, each from an associated dispenser, onto a single or multiple testing mediums. Each of these actuated dispensers being positioned over the targeted testing medium(s) positioned at one or more loading stations.

A cover member for use in the treatment of a sample on a substrate is disclosed. The cover member has fluid flow features and is adapted for use in an instrument, such as a laboratory instrument. The cover member comprises at least one orientation feature detectable by the instrument for ascertaining an orientation of the cover member. An automated method for detecting orientation of a cover member in a sample treatment assembly is also disclosed, in which a processor compares data corresponding to one or more images collected from the sample treatment assembly, with data representing a reference image to determine if a cover member is in the sample treatment assembly.

According to an aspect of the invention, a specimen information detection apparatus includes, an image capture device configured to capture an image of a specimen container that contains a specimen, an illumination device configured to irradiate the specimen container with light sideways with respect to an image capturing direction when the image is captured, and an information processing portion configured to detect a state in the specimen container through image processing based on image information of the specimen container acquired by capturing the image of the specimen container.

Provided is an automatic analyzer, into or out of which a reagent bottle is automatically carried, capable of reducing a burden of an operator than in the past and preventing suspension of the analyzer. The automatic analyzer includes ribs 300 in a reagent disc 9 or ribs 400 in a reagent loading unit 103, a reflection sensor 200 provided in a reagent transport mechanism 101 to detect the ribs 300 or 400, and a controller 21 that adjusts a transport parameter of the reagent transport mechanism 101 using positions of the ribs 300 or 400 detected by the reflection sensor 200.

An inspection apparatus for electrical inspection of a substrate is provided. The inspection apparatus includes: a probe card including a plurality of probes; a stage on which the substrate is placed, the stage being configured to move the substrate relative to the probe card and to bring the substrate into contact with the probes; and a controller configured to control a movement of the stage. The controller calculates, using a first displacement amount based on a vertical load of the probe card and a second displacement amount based on an unbalanced load of the probe card that is inclined with respect to the vertical load, a three-dimensional correction amount for the unbalanced load of the probe card, and the controller moves the stage based on the three-dimensional correction amount.

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.

Provided is an automatic analyzer which does not require a preparation operation of disposing of a reaction vessel on the apparatus in advance and is capable of efficiently performing shifting to an analysis operation.

In a reaction promotion unit 108, a holding position located at a reaction vessel disposal position 202 during a first operation cycle is moved to a reaction vessel setting position 201 after an n (n: integer) operation cycle, and from a first operation cycle to an n-th operation cycle, an expendable item transport unit 112 performs an operation of disposing of a reaction vessel from a disposal position without performing an operation of setting the reaction vessel at a setting position in each operation cycle, and performs an operation of setting the reaction vessel at the setting position and an operation of disposing of the reaction vessel from the disposal position in each operation cycle after an (n+1)-th operation cycle.