There is provided an automatic analyzer that stops a back-flowing waste fluid from reaching a cleaning tank when bubbles are produced in a waste fluid pipe. An automatic analyzer includes: a cleaning tank in which cleaning using a detergent is performed with analysis operation of a specimen; and a waste fluid pipe through which a waste fluid flowing from the cleaning tank is discharged. The waste fluid pipe has an upward pipe branched upward. At a tip end of the upward pipe, opening is provided. The opening is disposed blow from the cleaning tank.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting foam in a specimen container. The method includes the following steps: transporting a specimen container into a locator well; centering the specimen container in the locator well; rotating the specimen container around a vertical axis in the locator well; imaging the specimen container during the rotation; analyzing an image of the specimen container captured during the rotation; and detecting foam in the specimen container based on the analysis of the image. An apparatus configured to perform the steps is also provided. The method and apparatus may be used in conjunction with a system for automatically determining whether a sample is positive for microorganism growth.

A method for detecting a liquid surface of a liquid sample with a pipetting tip, the method includes receiving an indication of a capacitance of the pipetting tip, and determining, based on a rate of change of the indication of the capacitance rising above a first preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has come into contact with the liquid surface. The method also includes determining, based on the rate of change of the indication of the capacitance falling below a second preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has lost contact with the liquid surface.

An automatic analyzer includes a plurality of storage container holding units, a dispensing container holding unit, a plurality of dispensing devices, a dispensing abnormality detector, and a drive control unit. The plurality of dispensing devices each include a dispensing probe. The dispensing abnormality detector is provided in each dispensing device. The drive control unit is configured to control driving of each dispensing device based on a detection result of the dispensing abnormality detector. If a dispensing device in which an abnormality is detected is a first dispensing device, the drive control unit is configured to cause a dispensing process of a cycle in which the abnormality is detected to be performed again. If the dispensing device in which the abnormality is detected is not the first dispensing device, the drive control unit is configured to end the dispensing process of the cycle and start the next cycle.

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.

This invention relates to methods, systems, and computer program products for verifying dispensing of a fluid from a pipette.

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 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.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting foam in a specimen container. The method includes the following steps: transporting a specimen container into a locator well; centering the specimen container in the locator well; rotating the specimen container around a vertical axis in the locator well; imaging the specimen container during the rotation; analyzing an image of the specimen container captured during the rotation; and detecting foam in the specimen container based on the analysis of the image. An apparatus configured to perform the steps is also provided. The method and apparatus may be used in conjunction with a system for automatically determining whether a sample is positive for microorganism growth.

The present invention enables automatic detection of failure in a plunger in a syringe pump unit by an automated analysis device, which includes a sample dispensing mechanism; a reagent dispensing mechanism; and a control unit for controlling operation of the sample dispensing mechanism and the reagent dispensing mechanism and analyzing the sample. The sample dispensing mechanism and the reagent dispensing mechanism each have a plunger for suctioning in and expelling liquid, and a plunger drive unit for driving the plunger. The control unit controls operation with the plunger drive unit of the reagent dispensing mechanism so that the plunger moves reciprocally by a backlash distance a predetermined number of times. Failure of the plunger is detected by detecting, using the liquid level sensing function, the amount of liquid discharged into the liquid storage container.