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 amount of gas remaining within a fluid control valve is reduced according to a method for fixing the fluid control valve to achieve highly accurate trace dispensation by simply removing gas. The dispensing device has a discharge nozzle, a liquid feeding tube that is disposed so as to connect a reagent bottle in which a reagent is stored and the discharge nozzle and forms a reagent flow path, and a fluid control valve that is disposed on the liquid feeding tube route connecting the reagent bottle and the discharge nozzle. The fluid control valve is provided with a reagent flow path having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet and a diaphragm valve provided in the middle of the flow path. The fluid control valve is disposed in an orientation such that the diaphragm valve is disposed at the bottom of the flow path of the fluid control valve.

Provided are point of care sensor systems that include portable readers and disposable cartridges for receiving and analyzing samples. A cartridge may be equipped with one or more sensor channels, each containing one or more sensors. After providing a sample to a cartridge, the cartridge can be inserted into a reader, which can interact with the cartridge to perform on-cartridge sensing and receive signals indicating the presence and/or quantity of one or more targets in the sample. Examples of cartridges can include cardiac panels, sepsis panels and the like. In some embodiments, the same sensor hardware may be configured for multiple measurements of different targets conducted at different time frames. Also provided herein are novel on-cartridge solid and liquid reagent storage and delivery mechanisms.

The dispensing unit includes a disc, a cartridge, and a dispensing holder. The disc has a disc shape and includes a track region provided with recesses and projections alternately arranged in a radial direction. The cartridge includes a penetration hole, and a well is formed by the penetration hole and the track region in a state in which the cartridge is attached to the disc. The dispensing holder includes a holding part to be inserted into the penetration hole, and a guide hole penetrating the holding part. The guide hole has a truncated cone shape in which a first opening diameter on the holding part side is smaller than a second opening diameter on a side opposite to the holding part, and a center line of the guide hole is located on a line passing through the center of the disc and the center of the well.

A sample analyzing apparatus for performing an optical-based measurement on a sample includes a housing, a first light source, excitation optics, a first light detector, emission optics, and a monitoring system, all of which are disposed in the housing. The monitoring system is configured for monitoring a movable component disposed in the housing. The monitoring system includes one or more light sources for illuminating the movable component, and one or more light detectors for detecting light reflected from the movable component in response to being illuminated.

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.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting formation of a droplet at a distal end of a pipette tip attached to a pipette. The methods, systems, and computer program products provide dispensing a fluid from the pipette tip, measuring pipette pressure in real time at an internal portion of the pipette while the fluid is dispensed, determining a plurality of pressure differences, estimating a plurality of rate of change in pipette pressure values during a given time interval, detecting formation of the droplet responsive to determining certain conditions are met, and stopping the dispensing of the fluid from the pipette tip or moving the pipette when the droplet is detected.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic analysis device capable of determining, through a simple processing, whether or not idle aspirate has occurred. The automatic analysis device according to the present invention determines whether or not idle aspirate has occurred, by calculating a parameter which specifies whether or not the length of a portion of a path through which the sample passes inside a dispensing probe is shorter than that during normal aspirate, the portion being actually filled with a sample (see FIG. 4).

Provided are point of care sensor systems that include portable readers and disposable cartridges for receiving and analyzing samples. A cartridge may be equipped with one or more sensor channels, each containing one or more sensors. After providing a sample to a cartridge, the cartridge can be inserted into a reader, which can interact with the cartridge to perform on-cartridge sensing and receive signals indicating the presence and/or quantity of one or more targets in the sample. Examples of cartridges can include cardiac panels, sepsis panels and the like. In some embodiments, the same sensor hardware may be configured for multiple measurements of different targets conducted at different time frames. Also provided herein are novel on-cartridge solid and liquid reagent storage and delivery mechanisms.

A control section causes one dispensing mechanism of either a reagent dispensing mechanism or a sample dispensing mechanism to first discharge a predetermined amount of a liquid into the reaction container, and then, with respect to the cases where the amount of a liquid to be discharged by the other dispensing mechanism is larger or smaller than the amount of the liquid in the reaction container, causes the other dispensing mechanism to discharge the liquid such that the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is larger is decreased relative to the discharge speed in the case where the amount of the liquid to be discharged is smaller.