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.

Provided is an automatic analyzer that has a plurality of mechanisms including a mechanism that suctions reaction waste liquid and a mechanism that suctions cleaning liquid, etc. on a sample and a probe surface, the automatic analyzer reducing pressure in a vacuum tank using a pressure-reducing pump, etc., and suctioning waste liquid by negative pressure in the vacuum tank. A contact point of a vacuum switch that is provided in the vacuum tank is closed when the pressure in the vacuum tank reaches a specified negative pressure, and then the analyzer becomes ready for analysis. If any flow path portion of any mechanism that connects with the vacuum tank becomes clogged, suctioning operation cannot be performed properly and analysis performance is affected. The vacuum pump is switched off at a timing at which each solenoid valve connecting to the vacuum pump is individually opened, and the time that elapses before the pressure in the vacuum tank reaches the specified negative pressure is measured. The measured time is compared with parameters in a normal case, and the presence or absence of an anomaly is determined.

A chemical dispensing mechanism detects the liquid surface of a chemical including a chemical container mounted on a chemical disk. A calculation control unit controls the operation of the chemical dispensing mechanism. The calculation control unit performs a first raising operation, in which a chemical stored in the chemical container is suctioned by the chemical dispensing mechanism, which is then raised up to a first bubble detection position, determines whether a liquid surface is present, and outputs an alert indicating the presence of a bubble on the liquid surface when the liquid surface has been determined to be absent. The first bubble detection position is when the tip of a dispensing nozzle of the chemical dispensing mechanism remains inside the liquid when there are no bubbles present on the liquid surface, and is exposed from the inside of the liquid when there are bubbles present on the liquid surface.

Disclosed herein are a particle sorting device capable of simply detecting bubbles, foreign substances, or the like in droplets, a method for analyzing particles, a program, and a particle sorting system. The particle sorting device includes a judgment unit, and the judgment unit judges whether or not captured image information including captured droplet image information about a brightness of an image of particle-containing droplets captured after discharge from an orifice has changed with respect to previously-set reference image information including reference droplet image information about a brightness of an image of droplets captured after discharge from the orifice.

A model-based method of determining characteristics of a specimen container. The method includes providing a specimen container, capturing images of the specimen container at different exposures times and at different spectra having different nominal wavelengths, selecting optimally-exposed pixels from the images at different exposure times at each spectra to generate optimally-exposed image data for each spectra, and classifying the optimally-exposed pixels as at least being one of tube, label or cap, and identifying a width, height, or width and height of the specimen container based upon the optimally-exposed image data for each spectra. Quality check modules and specimen testing apparatus adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

An in-vitro diagnostic device including a pipetting unit and a pipetting method, which allow for a more reproducible and more precise pipetting of liquids, when piercing through a lid of a closed liquid container is required. The pipetting unit is controlled to repeat penetration of the lid of the closed liquid container if the pressure difference between the interior of the liquid container and the surrounding is outside an allowable predefined pressure range.

A sealant discharging apparatus includes a sealing gun, a movement controller, a discharge controller, a measuring instrument, and an air bubble detector. The sealing gun is configured to discharge sealant to an object. The movement controller is configured to cause the sealing gun and the object to move relatively. The discharge controller is configured to control a discharge amount of the sealant discharged from the sealing gun. The measuring instrument is configured to measure a distance to a sealant pool that has been discharged from the sealing gun and yet to be used to seal the object. The air bubble detector is configured detect mixture of an air bubble in the sealant discharged from the sealing gun, on a basis of a result of measurement by the measuring instrument.

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 position 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.

Aspects of the present disclosure include a titration probe that mitigate the occurrences of titration probe clots. A bar such as segment of music wire, is extended across the tip of a titration probe and attached at both ends to the titration probe. The bar is configured to catch clots and prevent the clots from being collected along with a blood sample to be analyzed. The bar effectively reduces the cross sectional area of the titration probe tip.

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 a drip tray movable between a first position not under the capping/decapping mechanism and a second position under the capping/decamping mechanism.