A slide transport system for an automated slide treatment apparatus having slide treatment modules for receiving slides and a fluid dispensing robot configured by a controller to dispense reagents to the slides is disclosed. The slide transport system includes a slide transport robot configured by the controller to move the slides to and from the slide treatment modules and a slide transport device disposed on the slide transport robot and configured by the controller to releasably hold the slides. A slide handling head on the slide transport robot moves a closure body of a slide treatment module from a normally closed to an open position to move slides in the slide treatment module. The slide transport device is configured by the controller to release a slide when located in the slide treatment module, when the closure body is in the open position.

There is described an apparatus for automatically depositing, preserving and recovering specimens of biological materials contained in test tubes in/from a refrigerated store. Said apparatus comprises two test tube handling devices between test tube containers and carriers positioned on a conveyor adapted to automatically handle said test tubes; said two test tube handling devices are intended the one to load said test tubes from the refrigerated store to the conveyor and the other to unload test tubes from the conveyor (4) to the refrigerated store. Said test some containers are handled between said refrigerated store and said test tube handling devices by a container handling device.

The present invention relates to a sample diluting and dispensing device. The sample diluting and dispensing device according to the present invention includes: a sample holding plate in which a holding part for holding a plurality of sample vessels is formed; a moving unit for transferring the sample holding plate in a plane direction and a height direction; a sample supply unit for supplying a sample to the sample vessel; a diluent supply unit for supplying a diluent to the sample vessel; a scale installed below the sample holding plate to measure a weight of the sample vessel; and a controller for receiving a weight measurement result from the scale and controlling an operation of each of the sample holding plate, the sample supply unit, and the diluent supply unit.

An automatic analyzer with high processing capacity is capable of immediately measuring an emergency specimen rack. The automatic analyzer includes a conveying line for conveying a specimen rack, and an analysis unit which has a dispensing line in which a plurality of specimen racks are arranged for waiting until sample dispensing, and a sampling area for dispensing the sample to the analysis unit. A rack save area is provided in the dispensing line and at a position adjacent to the upstream side of the sampling area. When a specimen rack exists in the sampling area at the time of measuring an emergency specimen rack, a controller moves the specimen rack to the save area and positions the emergency specimen rack to be moved from a downstream side of the sampling area to the sampling area.

An automatic analyzer with high processing capacity is capable of immediately measuring an emergency specimen rack. The automatic analyzer includes a conveying line for conveying a specimen rack, and an analysis unit which has a dispensing line in which a plurality of specimen racks are arranged for waiting until sample dispensing, and a sampling area for dispensing the sample to the analysis unit. A rack save area is provided in the dispensing line and at a position adjacent to the upstream side of the sampling area. When a specimen rack exists in the sampling area at the time of measuring an emergency specimen rack, a controller moves the specimen rack to the save area and positions the emergency specimen rack to be moved from a downstream side of the sampling area to the sampling area.

Disclosed is a method of operating a laboratory instrument (100, 1000), wherein the laboratory instrument is configured for receiving a sample rack (112) with one or more sample tubes (126), wherein the laboratory instrument comprises a robotic head (106) for bringing a pipettor (108) into fluidic contact with the one or more sample tubes when the sample rack is in an operating position (122), wherein the robotic head is configured for loading the sample rack into the operating position, and wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving (200) the sample rack by the laboratory instrument; and loading (202) the rack into the operating position using the robotic head.

The apparatus has a containing body with a flat upper functional floor for containing receptacles of reagents, diluents and samples, as well as housings for gel cards and incubators for the same; a lower floor containing receptacles for washing liquids and the collection of waste and cards and for housing the fluid control and electronic control system; a series of longitudinal and transverse guides associated with the upper part of the apparatus, suitable for carrying in suspension the moving heads of the apparatus, the heads being movable on the transverse guides; two heads, respectively for perforation and pipetting and for the transport of gel cards; two centrifuges and a gel card reader; and a folding touch screen providing information and control.

A pipette tip extension attachable to a pipette tip is disclosed. The pipette tip extension has a proximal end, a distal end, and an exterior wall extending between the proximal end and the distal end. The exterior wall has an outer side and an inner side and forms at the proximal end a reception aperture for inserting a pipette tip. The pipette tip extension also has a bottom at the distal end, an inner cavity enclosed by the inner side of the exterior wall and the bottom, and one or more distance elements arranged at the inner side of the exterior wall and protruding into the inner cavity.

A transfer device for inserting a pipette carrier into a pipetting apparatus that includes a comb structure having an elongated base and a plurality of teeth arranged perpendicularly thereto, wherein the teeth are arranged parallel and equidistantly relative to one another and comprise two outer teeth and a plurality of inner teeth arranged between the outer teeth, wherein the elongated base and the two outer teeth are embodied in the form of a three sided frame, wherein the comb structure has an upper side and a lower side, wherein the inner teeth are reduced in height on the lower side in such a manner that a height of the inner teeth becomes progressively smaller from the elongated base to an elongated base far end of the inner teeth.

A container transfer method for transferring a container from a container holder capable of holding a plurality of containers, by using a holding section capable of performing an opening/closing operation, vertical movement, and horizontal movement. The method includes: moving the holding section downward to a position lower than a head portion of the container, at a position where the container is not held in a plan view; horizontally moving the holding section in an opened state, toward a target container on the container holder; after the horizontal movement of the holding section to the target container, closing the holding section with respect to the target container; and moving upward the holding section in a closed state.