A method and apparatus for opening a reaction vessel having a body forming a volume for liquid, and a lid. In the method at least one reaction vessel is placed on a transport vehicle and the reaction vessel is positioned on the vehicle so that the vessel's rotation about its own axis is prevented. Then, the at least one reaction vessel is transferred on the vehicle and a guide rod, attached to the lid that is attached by a hinge to the reaction vessel, is pushed by the movement of the vehicle against a guide surface that forces the lid to turn on the hinge so that the lid is at least partially opened.

The present invention provides a processing station for automatically processing a biological sample, a system for automated real-time inventory control of consumables within a biological sample handling or assay instrument, a high throughput random access automated instrument for processing biological samples, an automated instrument for processing or analysis of a sample, and processes for automated mucoid detection and elimination. Methods of using the disclosed instruments, mucoid detection processes, and systems to process and/or analyze samples are also disclosed.

Described herein are sample manipulation devices, for removing lids from and/or for placing lids onto sample containers. Such devices include a sample unit including a sample carrier receptacle for receiving at least one sample carrier for holding one or more sample containers, and a manipulation unit having at least one manipulation tool, where the sample unit and the manipulation unit are movable relative to each other along a movement direction. The sample unit is also movable between a first orientation in which a longitudinal direction of a sample carrier in the sample carrier receptacle is parallel to the movement direction between sample unit and manipulation unit, and a second orientation in which a transverse direction, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, of a sample carrier in the sample carrier receptacle is parallel to the movement direction between sample unit and manipulation unit.

The invention provides a piercing system for piercing at least one sealing membrane (18) closing off at least one cavity (14) of a receptacle, said system including a piercing member (110) configured to puncture the sealing membrane (18) and an ionizing device for removing the electrostatic charges that might be carried by said cavity (14). In accordance with the invention, said ionizing device comprises the piercing member (110) that is adapted to present ionizing properties. The invention also provides a method of piercing at least one sealing membrane (18) closing off at least one cavity (14) of a receptacle, said method comprising piercing the sealing membrane (18) in order to open up said cavity (14), and removing the electrostatic charges that might be carried by said cavity (14), wherein the sealing membrane (18) is pierced and the electrostatic charges is removed by a piercing member (110) adapted to present ionizing properties.

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.

A full-automatic sample pretreatment device includes a frame module, a cap removing module, a blood-collection tube grasping module, a pipette module, a platform module, a handling module, a film sealing module, a magnetic solid phase extraction module, an SPE positive pressure extraction module and a conveyor belt waste transfer module. A conveyor belt waste transfer module is arranged at a bottom of the frame module, the cap removing module, the platform module and the magnetic solid phase extraction module are sequentially arranged in the middle of the frame module from left to right, and the blood-collection tube grasping module, the pipette module, the handling module and the film sealing module are arranged at an upper portion of the frame module. The magnetic solid phase extraction module and the SPE positive pressure extraction module are detachable and interchangeable components.

A method for unsealing an opening of a laboratory sample container containing a sample is presented. The opening is sealed by a closure attached to the laboratory sample container by an adhesive. An adhesive strength of the adhesive is lowerable by treatment. The method comprises treating the adhesive such that its adhesive strength is lowered and removing the closure from the laboratory sample container.

There is provided an apparatus and method for extracting a biological sample from a sample container. The apparatus comprising: a holder arranged in use to support a sample container; an extractor moveable in use between a first position disengaged from the container when the container is supported by the holder and a second position engaged with the container when the container is supported by the holder, the extractor being arranged in use to obtain matter from the container when in the second position; and an imager arranged in use to capture an image of the extractor at the first position when the extractor is moved from the second position to the first position and to identify, based on analysis of the captured image, when sample is present outside the container.

In a hand-held capper/decapper device, cap drivers in an array are driven by an array of rotary motors that drive the cap drivers in forward and reverse rotary directions to cap and decap caps from threaded receptacles. A common linear drive drives ejector pins through the centers of cap drivers to eject caps from the cap drivers. Single button operation is enabled by a controller that responds to press and release of a control button to alternate between decap and cap functions. The cap function finishes with ejection by extension of an ejector pin. An ejector button may also be provided for ejection without rotation of cap drivers. The cap drivers float against compression springs that apply axial force to the cap drivers. Ejection of the caps is staggered to reduce force required. Replaceable cap drivers designed to corresponded to cap designs are supported in a removable cartridge that is retained on a hand-held housing by magnets.

An apparatus for automated capping and de-capping of test tubes having an ejector pin system for individualized cap ejection.