A low temperature storage system, a transport mechanism, and a low temperature storage vessel are provided, which enable downsizing and simplification of the transport mechanism, as well as stable transport of stored objects. A low temperature storage system (1) includes a low temperature storage vessel (10) and a transport mechanism (20). The transport mechanism (20) includes a reciprocating part (30) that has a holding part (35) and that is capable of reciprocating along a transfer direction, and guide unit (40). The guide unit (40) include an in-vessel guide (50) fixedly placed inside the low temperature storage vessel (10), and a telescopic guide (60) configured to be able to extend and contract along the transfer direction. The telescopic guide (60) is provided independently of the in-vessel guide (50) so as to be connectable to the in-vessel guide (50).

A device for handling laboratory plates comprising a base platform and opposing gripping members including one or more gripping members each pivotally attached to a first side of the base platform and one or more gripping members each pivotally attached to a second side of the base platform, wherein said gripping members extend down from the base platform and include a gripping tip disposed at the end of the gripping member, and methods of using the same.

A sample vessel is picked up from a sample carrier with a gripping device including first and second gripping sections. The first and second gripping sections grip the sample vessel from first and second sides. First and second holders for the sample vessel are provided, as is a first tool for moving the sample vessel along a stroke movement path. In the method, the first and second gripping sections are positioned on first and second sides of the sample vessel and the first tool engages with the sample vessel; the sample vessel is moved along the stroke movement path; the sample vessel is picked up in the second holder; the first and second gripping sections are repositioned in a lateral direction orthogonal to the stroke movement path such that the sample vessel is arranged in a free area not occupied by the sample carrier.

A sample heating device includes: an opening/closing cover provided to be movable in a horizontal direction between a position above an opening of a mounting port and a position displaced from the position above the opening, and a cover sliding mechanism that is engaged with a part of a sample boat conveying portion when the sample boat conveying portion comes to a predetermined position in a horizontal plane and moves the opening/closing cover in the horizontal direction according to upward and downward movements of the sample boat conveying portion so that the opening/closing cover is provided at the position directly above the opening of the mounting port when the sample boat conveying portion comes to a predetermined height.

An integrated apparatus for diagnostic analyses includes a support structure; a first refrigerated container an analysis area in which microplates are positioned and having receptacles or wells for receiving a primary sample; a samples removal and delivery unit to remove a primary sample from test tubes and deliver it into the wells; a temperature control area containing the primary samples; and a robotic head configured to interact with said samples removal and delivery unit so as to transfer the primary samples taken from the test tubes to the temperature control area and configured to insert, into each of the wells, the sample where a bacterial growth has been identified, an antibiotic in liquid form according to a choice at the discretion of the operator directed as a function of the type of species identified.

A slide storage, retrieval, transfer and scanning system for a slide scanner presents multiple components which work together in an automated fashion to streamline slide scanning in digital pathology. A slide storage assembly stores several slide baskets and can deliver a particular basket through a rotation mechanism. A slide basket transfer assembly retrieves the basket from the slide storage assembly and transfers the basket to a secondary location, where a slide transfer assembly retrieves a single slide from the basket and delivers the slide to a slide scanning stage for scanning.

Described is an interface module for robotic loading and unloading of a liquid chromatography sample manager. The module includes a transfer drawer receiving apparatus having a device track and a drawer drive system configured to transport a transfer drawer along the device track into and out from a sample tray of a sample manager. The transfer drawer receives a sample-vial carrier that holds samples to be analyzed. The module further includes a window apparatus that has a window controllable to be in an open state or a closed state. When in the open state, transport of the transfer drawer through the window into or out from the sample manager permits loading of the sample-vial carrier into the sample tray and unloading of the sample-vial carrier from the sample tray. In the closed state, the window apparatus substantially seals the internal environment of the sample manager from the ambient environment.

A device for agitating and collecting biological liquid samples comprises an agitator of racks of tubes, a sampling apparatus capable of collecting a biological liquid sample in a tube, and a changer capable of gripping a tube on a rack received in the agitator and moving it to the sampling apparatus. The agitator is capable of agitating at least three racks simultaneously, and the device also comprises a scheduler capable of determining destination data for a tube and destination data for the rack which receives this tube, and of determining for each tube a final location based on the destination data of the tube and the destination data of the racks received in the device, which final location designates a rack, received on the agitator and a position on this rack and can be different from the location of the tube when the rack that received it has been introduced into the device, and arranged to control the changer in order to grip a tube, present it to the sampling apparatus and replace it after sampling at the final location.

Incubation system and method for automated cell culture and/or testing. An exemplary incubation system may comprise a housing forming a chamber. A rack may define storage positions to support an array of sample holders inside the chamber. A detection robot may be configured to capture one or more images of cells contained by one or more wells of each sample holder while the sample holder remains at one of the storage positions of the rack. A fluid handling station may be configured to add fluid to, and/or remove fluid from, one or more wells of each of the sample holders inside the housing. At least one plate robot may be configured to move sample holders between the rack and the fluid handling station. A computer may control operation of the detection robot, the fluid handling station, and the at least one plate robot.

A transportation system for paraffin embedded tissues includes a placing assembly, a bearing unit and a storage device. The placing assembly includes a horizontal moving assembly, a vertical moving assembly, a rotation assembly and a placing unit. The horizontal and vertical moving assemblies move the placing unit in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively, and the rotation assembly allows the placing unit to rotate around a vertical axis. The bearing unit receives the paraffin embedded tissues. The storage device has a rotation plate including a plurality of receiving slots each for storing the bearing unit. The placing unit is configured to remove the bearing unit from the storage device, move the bearing unit to a processing apparatus located at another side of the placing assembly, remove the bearing unit from the processing apparatus, and transport the bearing unit to the receiving slot of the storage device.