The present invention provides a disposable ultra-filtration system comprising a disposable pipetting tip and a disposable ultra-filtration cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes a membrane filtration chamber and a dead-end channel. In use, a piston in the pipette pressurizes air within the channel; the pressurized air can subsequently move the piston and cause a reverse flow back through the membrane of the cartridge, unplugging the pores thereof. Also disclosed is an automated workstation incorporating the disposable ultra-filtration system, and a system comprising the automated workstation, useful for measuring the free therapeutic drug concentration and free hormone concentration in a sample.

A sample tube rack for receiving at least one sample tube comprises an upper part comprising an upper surface, wherein at least one upper opening for receiving the sample tube is provided in the upper surface; an intermediate part comprising an intermediate surface, wherein at least one intermediate opening for receiving the sample tube is provided in the intermediate surface; and a lower part comprising a supporting surface, wherein at least one supporting position for supporting the sample tube is provided in the supporting surface. Therein, the intermediate part is connected to both the upper part and the lower part such that the at least one upper opening is substantially aligned above the at least one intermediate opening and above the at least one supporting position for receiving the at least one sample tube. At least one gripping orifice is provided in a lateral side of the lower part.

A test tube holder holds various types of test tubes substantially perpendicular, and is structured to be durable against extraction and insertion of the test tubes. The test tube holder includes a housing part having a hollow portion, a holding part positioned on an upper side of the housing part and having an opening portion, which accepts a test tube, and a housing portion, which houses the accepted test tube. An elastic part is formed inside the holding part so as to abut on the housed test tube. The test tube holder has a weight housed inside the hollow portion. The holding part and the elastic part may be integrally formed. Inside the hollow portion of the housing part, besides the weight, an individual identification tag, an electromagnetic wave absorbent, and a support member for a tapered test tube can be housed in accordance with usage.

Disclosed is a sample processing apparatus that comprises a rack with positions to hold sample tubes, the rack including a rack identification suited to a kind of sample tube, a rack set unit that accepts the rack in a detachable manner, a tube transfer unit with mechanical movement to grab and take out each sample tube from a rack held in the rack set unit, a rack detector comprising a sensor to detect the rack identification of the rack held in the rack set unit, and a controller that controls movement of the tube transfer unit based on a detection result of the rack detector.

A sample vessel assembly, comprising a base member including a base flange having first and second opposing surfaces, first and second sides intersecting with one another; and a first sidewall extending from the first surface at a distance from the first and second sides; and a lid member, including: a lid flange having third and fourth opposing surfaces, third and fourth sides intersecting with one another; and a second sidewall extending from the third surface at a distance from the third and fourth sides, the second sidewall engageable with the first sidewall such that the first surface of the base flange and the third surface of the lid flange are in an opposing spaced-apart relationship with one another and such that the first and second sidewalls cooperate with one another to define a sample chamber. Further disclosed is a method for automated analysis of samples in a sample vessel assembly.

Provided is a sample introduction system for sequentially introducing a plurality of samples into an analyzer 200, the system including: an auto-sampler 300 including a sampling needle 302 for suctioning a sample from each well 312 provided in a plate 311 placed on a sample rack 310 or from a sample container 313 placed in the well 312, a needle drive mechanism 303 for driving the sampling needle 302 in horizontal and vertical directions; an operation section 10 for allowing a user to command the needle drive mechanism 303 to drive the sampling needle 302; and a display controller 28 for displaying, on a screen of a display section 30, an identification of the well 312 related to a reference point defined on the plate 311 in a correction process conducted by the user by manipulating the operation section 10 no as to operate the needle drive mechanism 303 so that the sampling needle 302 is transferred to a predetermined position serving as the reference point.

A disposable dispenser unit is disclosed. The disposable dispenser unit comprises a fluid reservoir, a tag for storing information, a dispenser head having a pump chamber and at least one injector nozzle, and a means disposed at the dispenser head for attachment thereof to a diagnostic system, wherein the pump chamber comprises a piston and the piston comprises a volume which can be filled with fluid.

A histology processing cassette comprising a box comprising a compartment for holding a biological tissue sample, the box having a bottom face comprising at least in part a sample support surface and being transmissible to radiation, an open top face, and two side walls, a back wall and a front wall, the box having dimensions greater than a standard size histology processing cassette and comprising a recess in the front wall adapted to receive a standard size cassette which has a front wall comprising a unique identifier for the biological tissue sample such that upon insertion of the standard cassette in the recess the unique identifier on the front wall of the standard cassette is readable.

A system for collecting tissue samples, such as meat tissues on carcasses, for example in the food industry. Also provided are methods for collecting tissue samples, and to a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions to execute at least one step of the method for collecting tissue samples.

An extraction analysis device includes a placement table for placing a rack holding a plurality of extraction containers, and an analysis channel for analyzing a component extracted from a sample, and is configured to set the plurality of extraction containers held in the rack placed on the placement table as extraction targets in a preset order, to execute an extraction operation for extracting components from a sample to a mobile phase that is a supercritical fluid in the extraction container set as the extraction target, and to execute analysis of the components by introducing the components extracted by the extraction operation into the analysis channel. A rack replacement device is configured to execute replacement of the rack on the placement table by performing movement of the rack from the placement table of the extraction analysis device and placement of the rack on the placement table. The extraction analysis device is configured to bring the rack into a movable state in which the rack can be moved from the placement table during the analysis of a component extracted from a sample by the extraction operation in the extraction container set as a last extraction target among the plurality of extraction containers held in the rack. The rack replacement device is configured to execute replacement of the rack on the placement table during the analysis of the component extracted by the extraction operation in the extraction container set as the last extraction target.