A liquid film cartridge includes: a nozzle section 10 which ejects a foamable solution 100 and generates a liquid film in a space; and a liquid leading section 20 which leads the foamable solution 100 to the nozzle section 10, in which when an outermost portion of a liquid ejecting port 11 of the nozzle section 10 and an inner wall 21 of the liquid leading section 20 are disposed with a gap therebetween so as to satisfy a condition of a predetermined separation relationship, a distance from the inner wall 21 generating air bubbles 103 to the liquid ejecting port 11 in the liquid leading section 20 corresponding to a flow path immediately before the foamable solution 100 reaches the nozzle section 10 is increased and the amount of the air bubbles 103 entering from the liquid leading section 20 into the nozzle section 10 can be reduced.

A sample container of patient sample material includes a sample container barcode containing patient-identifying information. The sample container barcode on the sample container is read, and a tubular reaction vessel is provided to a printer module configured to print a barcode directly onto a surface of the tubular reaction vessel. The printer module prints a barcode on the surface of the reaction vessel by a thermal printing method, and the barcode printed onto the reaction vessel is associated with the sample container barcode.

A blood analyzing method for detecting a short sample of blood in a suction tube, when blood is sucked by the suction tube constituting a blood analyzing apparatus, includes measuring a first blood parameter by using blood that is present in a first area of a blood analysis area, blood in the blood analysis area being used to analyze the blood in the suction tube, measuring a second blood parameter by using blood that is present in a second area of the blood analysis area, the second area being different from the first area, and detecting the short sample of blood based on the first blood parameter and the second blood parameter.

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.

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.

The automatic analyzer includes: a liquid dispensing mechanism that performs suction of a liquid; a pressure sensor that measures a change of an internal pressure of a probe provided at the liquid dispensing mechanism; a determination section that determines whether the suction of the liquid by the probe is normal suction or air suction abnormality; an analysis section; a storage section that stores a cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality per liquid and an allowable cumulative number for the cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality; and a controller that exercises operation control over the liquid dispensing mechanism, the determination section, and the analysis section. The controller exercises control such that the cumulative number of times of air suction abnormality is updated and the updated cumulative number is stored in the storage section even if the air suction abnormality occurs non-consecutively.

A model-based method of classifying a specimen in a specimen container. The method includes capturing images of the specimen and container at multiple different exposures times, at multiple different spectra having different nominal wavelengths, and at different viewpoints by using multiple cameras. From the captured images, 2D data sets are generated. The 2D data sets are based upon selection of optimally-exposed pixels from the multiple different exposure images to generate optimally-exposed image data for each spectra. Based upon these 2D data sets, various components are classified using a multi-class classifier, such as serum or plasma portion, settled blood portion, gel separator (if present), tube, air, or label. From the classification data and 2D data sets, a 3D model can be generated. Specimen testing apparatus and quality check modules adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

A model-based method of inspecting a specimen for presence of one or more artifacts (e.g., a clot, bubble, and/or foam). The method includes capturing multiple images of the specimen at multiple different exposures and at multiple spectra having different nominal wavelengths, selection of optimally-exposed pixels from the captured images to generate optimally-exposed image data for each spectra, computing statistics of the optimally-exposed pixels to generate statistical data, identifying a serum or plasma portion of the specimen, and classifying, based on the statistical data, whether an artifact is present or absent within the serum or plasma portion. Testing apparatus and quality check modules adapted to carry out the method are described, as are other aspects.

Provided are a liquid surface inspection device, an automated analysis device, and a liquid surface inspection method with which instances of contamination can be minimized and the accuracy of the manner in which the surface conditions, such as bubbles or the like, of a liquid substance are detected can be enhanced. The device has: a light illumination unit for illuminating a container holding a liquid substance, as well as the surface of the liquid substance, with light; an image capture unit for acquiring a video image having at least color information and brightness information of light from the container and the liquid substance which are illuminated by the light illumination unit; and a detection unit for using the color information and brightness information in the video image captured by the image capture unit to detect the condition of the liquid surface.

An automatic analysis device includes a probe that performs a dispensing operation including a suction process and a discharge process with respect to liquid; a syringe that generates a pressure change for dispensing liquid at the probe; a flow path that connects the probe and the syringe with each other; a pressure sensor that measures the pressure change in the flow path at the time of liquid dispensing; a storage portion that stores a pressure change of time-series when reference fluid is discharged as a reference discharge pressure waveform; and a determination portion that determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the suction process of the sample from a relationship between a value of difference or a ratio between the reference discharge pressure waveform and the pressure waveform of a determination target at the time of discharge of liquid and normal range.