A sample processing station includes two or more container holders on a platform that is rotatable about a central axis of rotation. Each holder is configured to rotate about a secondary axis of rotation. The station includes a capping/decapping mechanism to cap or decap a container held in one of the container holders and an elevator with a chuck guide that contact the container holder as the chuck is lowered by the elevator to positon the chuck with respect to the cap of the container held in the holder and to hold jaws of the container holder in a closed position. In embodiment, the chuck guide includes a yoke with opposed arms and spindles located near distal ends of the arms that engage beveled shoulders of the container holder.

A method for determining the quality of a hose in an automated analyser system, comprising the steps of collecting data of a wash curve by measuring the light intensity through a hose with an optical sensor during washing of a hose; determining and recording the voltage changes related to changing light intensities; extracting an aspiration time and time for completing of a an aspiration process from said data; determining changes in the data of the most recent wash curves. The disclosure further relates to a device for preforming said method.

An automatic analysis device including liquid containers 3, 4, and 5 for storing liquid and liquid sending units 8, 9, and 10 for sending the liquid in the container through flow paths includes a detector 102 for detecting gas in the flow path, a priming function unit for replacing the liquid in the flow path, and a control device 29 for determining that bubbles are incorporated in the liquid in the flow path when the detector detects gas in the flow path. With this configuration, the incorporation of bubbles into a liquid and a shortage of a reagent can be more efficiently identified.

Means for determining whether or not a reagent necessary for a chemical reaction is normally discharged is provided for a liquid dispensing device that dispenses the reagent for the reaction. A liquid dispensing device as such means includes a temperature controller that controls a temperature of a reaction position to any appropriate temperature and a temperature monitor part that monitors the temperature of the reaction position, monitors with the temperature monitor part a change in the temperature of the reaction position when the dispensing device discharges a reagent, and when a temperature change amount deviates from a beforehand determined threshold range, determines abnormal dispensation.

A foam sensor device is used for monitoring foam within a vessel. The sensor (e.g. accelerometer) is encapsulated inside a water-tight, sterilizable, shell, which floats on a liquid contained. In one example, the foam sensor device includes an accelerometer for detecting and measuring rotation and movement of the foam sensor device and generates movement data based on the detected movement. During a learning or calibration process, sensor data (e.g., movement data) from the foam sensor device is analyzed and classified using machine learning and/or signal processing methods to extract features indicative of different possible foam statuses, including varying levels of foam, or no foam and generate models for the different statuses. During normal operation, the foam sensor device transmits sensor data to an analyzer containing the pre-calibrated models, which determines whether there is foam or not. Based on the foam status, a pump controller adds anti-foam solution.

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.

Proposed is a technique for facilitating work of cause investigation of a defect by an operator. The present disclosure proposes an automatic analyzer including: a reagent dispensing unit configured to aspirate a reagent from a reagent vessel that contains the reagent, and discharge the reagent into a reaction vessel that contains a reaction liquid containing a sample; a storage unit configured to store a type of the sample and concentration-related information determined for each type of the sample and related to a concentration of a component to be measured contained in the sample; a detection unit configured to detect a measurement concentration that is the concentration of the component to be measured contained in the reaction liquid; and a determination unit configured to determine whether an abnormality occurs in the reagent vessel based on the concentration-related information and the measurement concentration.

Means and methods for dispensing small amounts of liquid from multi-channel microdispensing devices, suitable for use in automatic processing in biological assays and for the cultivation of cells and tissues, by means of optical control of the dosed liquid by specific light barrier units.

A state of a sample surface is accurately determined without lowering analysis efficiency. There is provided an apparatus for determining a state of a sample to be analyzed contained in a container, in which the apparatus acquires an image of the sample, analyzes a position and a size of an object to be detected with respect to a detection range set in the image by using the image of the sample, and determines the state of the sample based on a result of the analysis.

An apparatus for processing a laboratory sample contained in a laboratory sample container is presented. The apparatus comprises an optical sensing unit for sensing a transmittance at different vertical positions through the laboratory sample container and a tip sensing unit having a tip. The tip sensing unit is adapted to provide a tip sensing signal (tLDS) depending on a position of the tip relative to the sample. The apparatus also comprises a process control unit adapted to control the secure and reliable pipetting of the laboratory sample in response to both the transmittance and the tip sensing signal (tLDS) provided by the tip sensing unit.