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.

The present invention provides improved methods, facilities and systems for parallel processing of biological cellular samples in an efficient and scalable manner. The invention enables parallel processing of biological cellular samples, such as patient samples, in a space and time efficient fashion. The methods, facilities and systems of the invention find particular utility in processing patient samples for use in cell therapy.

The invention relates to a pipetting device having an exchangeable pipette tip for suctioning and discharging fluid volumes for use in automated laboratory systems. The invention relates to a pipetting device having a pipette tip detection unit and for detecting a pipette tip on a pipette device of this type. A detection unit detects whether a pipette tip is connected to the pipette tube or determines a characteristic feature of the connected pipette tip. The pipette tip forms at least one portion of a first electrode when the pipette tip is in electrical operative contact with the pipette tube and, e.g., a pipette tip holder, a contact for setting down the pipette tip holder or a working table over which the pipette tube can be moved forms at least one portion of a second electrode.

A reagent module may include a first reagent dispensing device to dispense a first range of volumes of a first reagent, and a second reagent dispensing device to dispense a second range of volumes of a second reagent where the second range of volumes is more voluminous relative to the first range of volumes. The reagent dispensing system may further include a third reagent dispensing device to dispense a third range of volumes of a third reagent where the third range of volumes is more voluminous relative to the second range of volumes.

An analysis system and a method for testing a biological sample are proposed, wherein certain pieces of at least two different pieces of control information are selected and/or used to carry out the test using a cartridge and/or certain pieces of at least two different pieces of evaluation information are selected and/or used to evaluate the measurement results determined by the test.

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 a drip tray movable between a first position not under the capping/decapping mechanism and a second position under the capping/decamping mechanism.

The invention refers to a photometer arrangement (8) with a reagent container (10,10) comprising a reagent (14) and being provided with a machine-readable reagent identifier (16), an analyzer device (30) comprising a photometer (40) for providing a photometric raw measurement value (M), a reagent identifier reader (45) for providing a reagent identity (R) and a photometer controller (36), a time stamp generator (38) for providing a measurement date (MD), a reagent ageing database (76) with reagent-identity-specific and age-specific ageing correction factors (C), and an evaluation device (50) having a data connection with the analyzer device (30) and the reagent ageing database (76). The long time accuracy of the photometric results is improved significantly.

The present invention relates to a method for determining the position of a robotic arm in an automatic liquid handling system in which a measurement probe with a first electrode is arranged on the robotic arm and, together with a second electrode formed by at least part of a working area or at least part of a container or container carrier forms a measurement capacitor that is operatively connected to a measurement unit for measuring an impedance, in particular a capacitance of the measurement capacitor. The method involves moving the measurement probe along a first path, detecting a first change in the impedance, in particular in the capacitance of the measurement capacitor at a first point on the first path, and defining at least one first reference spatial coordinate for a control unit of the robotic arm on the basis of the first point on the first path.

The invention relates to a measuring apparatus for detecting the relative position of an end portion of a pipetting container by an interaction between a measurement support section of the pipetting container and the measuring apparatus. The invention relates to an automatic laboratory, which comprises this measuring apparatus and to a corresponding measuring method.

A sample container of patient sample material includes a sample container barcode containing patient-identifying information. The sample container barcode on the sample container is read, and a tubular reaction vessel is provided to a printer module configured to print a barcode directly onto a surface of the tubular reaction vessel. The printer module prints a barcode on the surface of the reaction vessel by a thermal printing method, and the barcode printed onto the reaction vessel is associated with the sample container barcode.