A method comprises: aspirating a sample through a needle capillary into a chamber having first and second windows, the capillary and chamber both affixed to a moveable robotic arm; causing a light beam generated by a light source that is affixed to the robotic arm to pass through the sample between the windows; detecting, using a photodetector that is affixed to the robotic arm, a quantity of the light that passes through the sample and the windows; determining an optical absorbance of the sample and a concentration of an analyte in the sample from the detected quantity of light; determining a quantity of the sample to dispense into an analytical apparatus based on the determined concentration; moving the robotic arm so as to cause the needle capillary to mate with an inlet port of an analytical apparatus; and dispensing the determined quantity of the sample into the analytical apparatus.

A method for automated processing of a sample using a first pipette tip container (110) having a first pipette tip comprises the steps of: removing the first pipette tip (160) from the first pipette tip container (110); feeding the sample into the first pipette tip container (110); processing the sample in the first pipette tip container (110). A rack (100) comprises at least one first pipette tip container (110) having a first pipette tip (160), wherein the rack (100) comprises means for identifying an alignment of an orientation of the rack (100) in a rack receptacle of an apparatus for automated processing of a sample. A transport arrangement comprises at least two racks (100), wherein at least one bottom region of a pipette tip container (110) of a first rack (100) is in direct contact with a releasable covering, in particular a tear-off film of a second rack (100).

Apparatuses and methods of optically analyzing fluid within a pipette are described herein. In an embodiment, an optical reader subassembly includes a housing including an internal area, a container configured to hold a fluid sample at a sample position in a light tight manner within the internal area of the housing, a light source configured to project light onto the fluid sample within the container, and an optical sensor configured to move between different sensor positions while the fluid sample remains stationary at the sample position, the different sensor positions including at least two of: (i) a first sensor position for taking a luminescence reading of the fluid sample; (ii) a second sensor position for taking a dark current or other background measurement; and (iii) a third sensor position for taking a fluorescence reading of the fluid sample.

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.

A sample liquid-sending device of the present technology includes a drive mechanism, a suction mechanism, and a controller. The drive mechanism supports a sample container and is configured to be capable of moving the sample container, the sample container including a storing portion that stores a suspension containing a sample. The suction mechanism includes a nozzle configured to be inserted into the storing portion, and suctions the suspension through the nozzle. The controller is configured to be capable of controlling the drive mechanism such that a bottom of the storing portion and a suction port of the nozzle are separated from each other by a predetermined distance.

A method and droplet dispenser for depositing single particles onto a target. For example, a single particle depositing method with improved rate of dispensing single particles and/or increased recovery of rare particles and/or with an extended applicability with different types of particles and/or operation conditions. The depositing method may be capable of increasing the rate of dispensing single cells without decreasing the recovery rate. Testing a single particle condition is combined with testing a zero particle condition and/or the particle type condition. The ejection and sedimentation regions are tested with regard to the presence of a single particle in the ejection, and further particle arrangements allowing a single particle deposition are identified and tested and/or the particle type detection is added to the dispenser control. Accordingly, the speed and recovery rate of dispensing single particles of interest can be improved.

A method of depositing single particles onto a target includes loading a particle suspension to a droplet dispenser having a suspension reservoir and a nozzle section, detecting particles in the nozzle section, testing a single particle condition of the droplet dispenser, and determining whether an ejection region of the nozzle section includes one single particle. The method further includes operating the droplet dispenser for dispensing a droplet such that the droplet is dispensed onto the target if the single particle condition is fulfilled, or the droplet is dispensed into a collection reservoir if the single particle condition is not fulfilled. The step of testing the single particle condition further includes determining whether a sedimentation region adjacent to the ejection region is free of particles. A dispenser for performing the method is also provided.

A photometric dispensing nozzle unit, a photometric dispensing apparatus, and a photometric dispensing method are for preventing an increase in apparatus scale and have a simple structure to be easily handled. A nozzle performs suction/discharge of gas through a distal end opening and can have a dispensing tip attached thereto. A light guide end portion is provided in the nozzle and can receive or irradiate light at a distal end of the nozzle. A dispensing cylinder has a cylinder having a cavity therein, a plunger that is slidable in the cavity, and a suction/discharge port that performs suction/discharge of gas. A suction/discharge flow path passes through the nozzle and communicates with the suction/discharge port and the distal end opening of the nozzle. A light guide path is optically connected to the light guide end portion through the nozzle but not through the dispensing cylinder.

According to an example, a microfluidic apparatus may include a fluid slot, a foyer in fluid communication with the fluid slot via a channel having a relatively smaller width than the foyer, a sensor to detect a presence of a particle of interest in a fluid passing through the channel, a nozzle in fluid communication with the foyer, and an actuator positioned in line with the nozzle. The microfluidic apparatus may also include a controller to receive information from the sensor, determine, from the received information, whether a particle of interest has passed through the channel, and control the actuator to expel fluid in the foyer through the nozzle based upon the determination.

Provided are methods and devices for automated analysis of one or more samples in single or multi-well plates or vessels, wherein the process of automated analysis comprises flow and hydrodynamic, electrokinetic, and optical forces for the analysis and sorting of samples, wherein the samples comprise liquid or particles in microfluidic channels, and wherein the devices comprise an assembly of components that enable processing of a said samples for analytical assessment by fluidic and/or particle based instruments. Microfluidic structures (channels, “T's”, “Y's”, branched “Y's”, wells, and weirs) are described for facilitating sample interaction and observation, sample analysis, sorting, or isolation. Detection can be accomplished using spectroscopic methods including, but not limited to, Raman spectroscopy of single cells and bulk cellular samples (collections of cells; several individuals to hundreds or thousands of cells).